Kingdom of Hearts
by Xelrina
Summary: There was an assasination attempt on Youko and they had to flee to Horai for safety. There is a little humour involved too. How will Keiki and Suzu adapt to the modern life of the 21st century? Rated T just in case...YxK
1. Chapter 1

**Kingdom**** of ****Hearts******

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twelve Kingdoms. But I do own all the other characters. **

Summary: There was an assassination attempted on Kei-o and they had to flee to Horai.

Chapter 1

Everyone in the Kimpa Palace was in frenzy and everything was chaotic.

Suzu shut her eyes and screamed when a sword came wielding in her direction, waiting for the impact to come. When she failed to register any pain, she peered through her fear stricken eyes and saw that Youko had shielded her with the Suiguu. Suzu scampered away and went to search for anything that was weighty and found a chipped vase rolled away in the corner of the room. The raven hair girl positioned herself carefully behind the bulky attacker and with all her might, smashed the vase onto his sweaty neck. The soldier stiffened for a few moments before buckling under his weight, and his weapon clanked noisily onto the ground. Youko sheathed her sword and pulled her petrified friend from her bedchamber to search for their counterpart.

They ran along the corridor and swerved dangerously to their left, never stopping until they have reached their destination. Suzu held on to her luggage and also her dear life when she almost tripped on her own feet. The young girl contemplated at the young empress and wondered where indeed were they running to in this circumstance. They reached a flight of stairs and if she had not snapped out of her thoughts in time, she might have fell and dragged Youko with her. Suzu's lungs were burning for air and her mouth was parched, and she wondered how in the world this redhead could run so fast in her heavy clothes without breaking a sweat. _Must be the Hinman._

Finally, they reached an old looking wooden door at the end of the stairs and Youko screeched to a halt. Suzu collided into the empress and staggered sideways. Youko lifted her leg and gave the knob a punt and pieces of wood went flying outwards. Suzu gave a muffled whimper when a splinter missed her flushed face by a hairline. Without a word, the kaikyuku began dragging the small built girl again. Suzu shielded her eyes from the glaring sun as she tried to follow Youko's lead. When her eyes got adjusted to the degree of light, she was able to distinguish a certain blonde standing beside a couple of beasts.

Without needing to say anything, both women jumped onto the backs of the animals and they leaped off the palace into the depressing sky with Keiki on their trails. Youko looked over her shoulder and sorrow flashed from her green orbs; there was smoke coming from the Kimpa Palace and she could also see her soldiers desperately fending the rebels. One was slain in the torso-

The young empress immediately retracted her vision and looked straight ahead into the horizon. The magnificent creature galloping behind his master saw the pain and guilt within Youko and wished he could say something, anything to make her feel better. He knew that at the start of every regime there would be some uprising amongst the people; those who did not want a female ruler and those who dislike kaikyakus. The previous empress who became delirious had tried to exterminate the female population in Kei, and so it was natural for the people to express doubts over the new empress. But to this extent? Faces of snide ministers flashed before his eyes and he felt his heart missed a beat. Come to think of it, the kirin did not see those few in the palace while he made is way to the waiting place. Keiki refocused on his master and his heart started to ache. He would share her burden. This was the only thing he can do now.

The fleeing trio landed on the soft grass in a forest safe from their assailants. Youko and Suzu got off from the backs of the beasts and began surveying their surroundings. Keiki ordered his shireis to leave and stood at where he landed, inspecting his master's features. Youko was anything but glad, and although they had gotten out of that place but it does not mean that the problem will resolve by itself. The despondent express lowered her head and stared at her feet. She was such a failure; she had let her friends downs and above all, Keiki. At the thought of her most loyal subject, Youko raised her head and switched her attention to the white animal three feet away from her. She realized that Keiki was still in his animalistic form and it hit her. _I should have picked up his clothes for him._

Keiki had read her thoughts and inwardly he frown. Youko seemed surprised at the kirin's steady gaze and she looked away. When will she start to do things right? They were in the middle of somewhere and her kirin did not have any clothes to wear. How could she have been so careless! Suzu sensed the declining mood in her friend and too apprehended the reason behind it. The young maid laid down her luggage and spreaded the stuff she brought across the grass. She picked up a forest green cape and flashed a grin Youko. The empress's eyes brightened.

When they reached the nearest town, the three of them went hunting for a humble inn. Keiki's blonde hair was difficult to keep in the hood as the wind kept blowing against the material. The last thing they need was to flaunt their wealth and get unwanted attention. Finally they settled in a small inn situated at the West side of the town. Suzu went out to buy themselves some clothes as Youko was still wearing her imperial robe, and also for Keiki of course. Thank goodness Youko did not have time to adorn her head with all the ridiculously flashy jewelry when they were being attacked, or else she would not know where to dump those things.

The atmosphere in the room became increasingly tense. Keiki was sitting by the window, his eyes transfixed onto something outside. Youko did not know whether he was mad at her or not. They had not spoken since he told her to get Suzu while he waited for them at the top level of the palace. The nervous teenage girl cleared her throat and Keiki turned his attention to her. Youko blushed at his steady gaze and looked away in an instance.

"Is there something you want to tell me, your highness?" Keiki spoke in a audible but hushed tone, his eyes never leaving his master.

"I…uhh..I…we…well…since we are out here now, you should stop calling me master." Youko finally found her words after fumbling for the first few seconds, "Just call me by my name."

The blonde kirin softened his eyes and lowered his head by a few degrees, "As you wish."

"And," the redhead started again, "I think it would be inconvinient for me to keep calling you Keiki. Do you have a name you like?"

Keiki's eyes widened at the sudden proposal. _A new name?_ The tall man knitted his eyebrows in concentration, and Youko thought he was upset.

"I mean it's fine if you do not wish to change your name Keiki is okay with me I was just ask-" The nervous empress blabbered on and on until Keiki interrupted her.

"Youko." The flushed young lady stiffened at the sound of her name being called. It sounded so different when it came out from his mouth, and she wanted to hear it again.

"A new name would be advantageous. It would pry attention away from us."

The young empress was slightly disappointed at his given reason. Of course he would think this way; it is only logical. _What do you expect then?_

"I do not have any names in my mind right now, but if you think of anything you would like, please tell me." Sekishi smiled gently to hide her disappointment.

"I will, Youko."

Youko watched with amazement at the 180 degrees change in his attitude. But she'd still wish he would dispense with the formalities. Right now, however, she was contented with what she got. At least they were making some improvements. The young empress smiled to herself.

After Suzu was back with their clothes, they changed into them immediately. Youko folded her robes neatly and wrapped them tightly in a piece of cloth. Then they sat down and fretted over Keiki's hair. The kirin did not seem to like the idea of having his hair chopped off, as suggested by Suzu. He would have to keep wearing the cloak wherever they go until they find a solution.

There was a small green bird perched on a bird stand near the only window. After they found out it was used to deliver orders from the guests to the innkeeper, they ordered food. All vegetarian. Suzu watched the little bird flew out of the window and went back to sit beside Youko. The empress and her most loyal subject were talking about the rebellion that happened a few hours ago.

"You mean the cabinet ministers? But they didn't seem to be unhappy with me." Youko rested her chin on her right fist and pondered deeply.

Keiki uttered a defeated sigh. It looked like their empress still have much to learn of the cruel world in the twelve kingdoms. "Those type of people are dangerous. They may seem friendly but they could also cause your downfall."

Youko's face heated with embarrassment as she listened. _He must think I'm ignorant and naïve._

"It doesn't matter right now, we're on a run. What's important is staying alive and maybe we could seek help from En-o." Suzu suddenly said and Youko threw her a grateful look.

"En-o has his own country to run, he can't keep helping us." Keiki rebutted and frowned even deeper.

"But what if his highness has already sent En-Taiho to search for us?" Suzu inquired.

The three sat silently and kocking of the door abrupted the dead air. "Your meal is ready!" A voice chirped with fake enthusiasm.

Suzu opened the door and a bored looking man with their messenger bird on his shoulder entered to serve them their dishes. The winged animal flew back to it's resting place and stayed there obediently, not making a sound. The all too familiar silence fell upon them again. The three of them could not help but to notice how **unique** the food tasted. Keiki almost choked at the greens he had put into his mouth. Almost. They managed to finish the food in the end but at an incredibly slow speed.

At mid afternoon, the sky was startting to be covered with brooding clouds, and as expected, droplets of rain began to grace the land of this town. Youko had wanted to get information around the town but the change of weather ruined her plans. So she sat on the bed she and Suzu would be sharing and stared straight out into the rain. The raven haired girl had gone down to ask for some candles after they found none in their inn room. Keiki sat on the bed adjacent to the girls' and watched the bird chirped at the weather. The little green creature returned his gaze and another chirp escaped from its beaks. The placcid man then remembered his shireis; he could count on them to do some investigation. A flash of lightning followed by a thunderous roar from the sky brought him back to reality. Keiki scowled at the sky; his plans will have to be adjourned. He turned his neck to check on the scarlet headed young woman near him. Youko was starring at the rain with her eyelids half closed and she was about to fall into a slumber when a series of lightning plus thunder chased away her fatigue. The young woman turned her head and met the gaze of her kirin.

"Is there something wrong?" Youko expressed her concern.

"No, nothing is wrong. Pardon me for my rude behaviour." With that, Keiki tore his eyes away from the confused empress and resettled them on the bird again.

Youko hated it when he did that I'm-staring-at-you-but-nothing-is-wrong thing. She had caught him doing that many times back at the Kimpa Palace and it had irritated the hell out of her. It made her feel afraid. It made her feel as if she had done something that displeased him. It made her feel…wrong.

Keiki watched the red haired empress in discreet and felt guilty for making her upset. He knew that his civil manner had hurt her, and he knew that she was pain stakingly trying to build up their relationship. But whenever he wanted to respond to her, You-o would sprang into his mind; throwing him off-guard and the alarm would go off in his head. It felt weird even to stand close to her as if she was going to cling onto him and tell him what he would wish to, but afraid to hear. It made the morning court unbearable everyday just having to stand next to her…

Youko's sensitive hearing picked up a frequency coming towards their room and held her breath as the door was being pushed apart. In came the familiar girl with a lighted red candle in her hands. The flame casted an eerie orange on her slightly tanned skin and her lips were slightly apart. Suzu just stood there without any expression. The other two occupants noticed her face muscles twitching involuntarily and her eyes burned with ferocious distress.

Youko was the first to react, "Suzu. What's wrong?"

However the young empress probed, her friend and handmaid continued to disregard them. The kirin also noted the abnormal behaviour and summoned his shirei. The red beast surfaced at his master's feet but kept his pressence unknown to the ladies, its parturient eyes dead focused on the weird girl holding a large red candle.

Then, Suzu raised both her arms and held the flickering flame just below her throat. The red head immediately noted the change in her brown orbs; they were filled with horror.

Youko narrowed her eyes at her friend and seethed, "Show yourself."

The corner of the lips of the frightened girl pulled back into an unnatural expression and a man's sadistic sniggering escaped from the pale lips. After he, or so it seemed, was done with his egoistic presentation, the muscles around Suzu's mouth began to move and every word and note was not her own, " I am here your royal highness, but I cannot present myself to you physically at the moment. I deeply apologise for my insolence and of course, for my sudden intrusion as well. I have come to seek for your cooperation your highness, and I suggest that you do as I command or this servant of yours shall be harmed."

Air caught in her throat as she looked around frantically in search of their unseen enemy. Keiki, however, chose to keep his eyes on the distraught girl in front of him, his shirei ready to pounce on any fourth party that might come in contact with his empress.

"Your highness, I am saddened by your distrust in me. I have already told you that I am… unavailable at the moment." The cocky voice reverberated within Suzu's throat and "he" willed her limbs to heighten the candle, "Please leave with me quietly, shall we?"

Despite the cold weather, beads of perspiration trickled down the side of her face. Should she leave with this…"person" or should she negotiate? Youko casted a quick glimpse at her loyal kirin and saw that he had not as much moved an inch since she last caught him starring at her earlier.

Sighing in defeat, the young empress lowered her gaze and muttered, "Just…let her go."

A flash of lighting illuminated the room and reinforced the tension amongst its occupants. The thunder that followed announced the impending doom that was to come.

"I knew you would come to your senses, your highness," the voice spoke with a higher pitch and showed that its owner was very pleased, "now if you would kindly follow this young lass and I shall guide you to your destination."

Youko felt her feet moved on its own. Keiki narrowed his violet orbs and stood up from his bed.

"Uh-ah-ah-ah-ah!" Suzu's mouth moved again, this time in a more agitated way, "Kei-Taiho, you shall and you will stay put. Rest assured I will take good care of your dear empress. Please keep your shireis away while you're at it."

The holy figure halted his actions and grinded his teeth behind his lips. He watched helplessly as Youko made her way out of the room with Suzu behind her. After he was faced with the grey wall of the corridor, almost immediately the red beast which had been very patient submerged into the cement floor. The wind outside howled and disturbed the kirin's golden mane. Keiki did not heed the hostility of the weather god and he leaped off the ground, leaving a pile of clothes on the floor and the spot where it once stood was once again filled with stale air.

TBC…

Finally, after two weeks I managed to finish the first chapter. I was/am very busy with school work and the only time I can spare are weekend nights. I feel a little dizzy right now…need to sleep, otherwise I wouldn't be able to complete the heaps of homework tomorrow. Please R&R! I know this chapter is quite uneventful and perhaps too draggy for some, but I will try. I already have some rough ideas on how this story is going to go. . Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**Kingdom**** of ****Hearts******

Disclaimer: I do not own Twelve Kingdoms, but I do own my characters.

**Chapter 2**

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The court room of the Kimpa Palace was lighted with many white candles. The melted wax trickled down the cylindrical body and hardened at the bottom, forming flower shaped solids on the candle holders. Despite the disarray of the place, most of the Kei ministers gathered before the throne. Many of them wore satisfied looks on their faces, but there were also some who looked grim. The creaking of the huge wooden doors startled them and everyone turned to see who has arrived. When everybody saw that it was just the Minister of Justice, they returned to murmuring among themselves. The small built man smirked at their ignorance. He gestured with his index finger for the people behind him to enter. Troops armed with weapons poured into the hall and had everyone surrounded within seconds. Many were caught off guard and they huddled in the middle like a sheep being encircled by a pack of wolves. Some put up resistance and were knocked out. The small proud man swaggered up to the group of nobles, his grin never wavering.

"Juoyu! What is the meaning of this?" A fellow minister bellowed. Several brave ones also nodded in disparagement.

Juoyu stroked his long grey beard and his beady eyes scrunched into very thin lines, "As you can see," a croaky voice started, "I am taking over this palace. Her majesty has left with Saiho and I am afraid this country cannot do without a temporary ruler, and I believe I am the most suitable candidate for the job."

"You planned this didn't you!" The same minister waved his finger accusingly at the arrogant old man.

Juoyu's visage tightened and roared, "This is not the way to show your respect to your superior, Honjyu!"

A soldier nearest to Honjyu strike at his neck and the burly immortal collapsed to the filthy carpet. The rest of the ministers gasped and immediately cowered before their new despicable ruler.

Juoyu let out a wicked laugh which pierced through the night, and the small creature hiding outside one of the windows shuddered.

Enki entered his master's study without knocking and plopped down on a chair noisily. Shoryuu looked up from a document and set his brush down knowingly. The tall emperor pushed back his chair and made his way to another chair beside his kirin. The blonde child scratched his hair and his lips curved into a disgruntled shape.

"They are so screwed, "Enki stated softly, "One of her ministers had been planning a rebellion and it seems that Youko and Keiki are gone."

The older looking man sat down and propped one of his leg onto the other. He placed both hands behind his head and stared at the skillfully engraved wooden ceiling, immersed in thoughts.

The holy creature turned to face the King of En, waiting for any reaction that might come from him and got annoyed when his master continued to disregard his presence, and started poking hard at the indolent emperor.

Shoryuu twitched and swat the small hand away, "I'm thinking."

"Well, tell me what you plan to do then!" Enki hissed, leaning forward.

The raven haired emperor sighed and sat up straight, "Basically, there is nothing we can do if Youko remains in her country. This matter is not for us to worry I'm afraid."

Enki looked at Shoryuu incredulously and sputtered, "Ther…there must be** something** we can do?"

En-o shook his head, "Continue to gather information though, it might be of some help in time to come."

Youko followed her possessed friend who was currently leading them towards a clearing in the middle of an unknown forest. The young empress, however, was more worried of her stick-in-the-mud kirin than of herself. The scarlet haired teen smiled wryly at the thought of Keiki. He has always been so rigid and serious, and it was as easy as cracking a groundnut when it came to communicating with him. The Hinman within the empress interrupted her thoughts when Suzu stopped walking and was only ten feet away.

Kei-o tried to refrain her teeth from chattering, but the cold that had already seeped into her drenched clothing made it difficult. Her sodden hair was plastered to her equally wet face, and her toes were freezing beyond numbness inside her soggy shoes. The wet grass came to their knees and the insects were flying around them. The condition became so unbearable that Youko spoke.

"Well?" Kei-o demanded, closing her fingers on the handle of the Suiguu.

"Getting impatient already? I thought you like the rain." the puppeteer spoke in an equally chilling voice but still the girl did not turn.

Youko growled, "Cut to the chase, who are you and what do you want?"

Suzu's right arm was raised and the empress of Kei would see the unwillingness behind it. Her four fingers were made to bend with only the index finger pointing towards the gloomy sky. "Heaven," the voice started, "has chosen this day for my victory. AND YOU!" the voice shouted above the noise of rain, and suddenly Suzu was whirled around to face the empress, her finger pointing at Youko this time. The younger girl's face was contorted with rage but her glistening orbs showed otherwise.

"SHALL DIE UNDER MY HANDS TODAY!" the screeching voice melted into the typical hyena laughter and scared away the birds which were taking shelter within the thick forage.

_This person is mad! And where the hell is Keiki!_ Looking around only to see shades of green, the young empress lowered her head dejectedly. She knew she had depended on Keiki too much, but what to do? She was not familiar with the court and her country, and every minister of hers seemed to have some hidden agenda which was proven correct with the sudden attack earlier this morning. Also, the guilt of not trusting her kirin years ago had been plaguing her to no end. So she tried to appease Keiki by following his suggestions more than following her own. Of course that did not work out well; Keiki in turn was mad at her for being indecisive! Youko recalled a day when Keiki was giving her that exasperated look when she agreed to one of his ideas the fifth time in that day.

_"What do you think if we build a dam across this river?" Keiki queried, "It would bring great benefits to the villagers there."_

_ Youko it her lower lip and replied, "I suppose so…"_

_ "Your majesty," The holy creature of Kei said as his eyebrows brought together into a frown, "Why do you always agree with me? The decision does not lie only on me. It is not right for a ruler to accede to her subject's every suggestion. The ministers may very well take advantage of that."_

Youko was about to go further into her thoughts when a rustling of the grasses brought her back to reality. She saw Suzu coming at her with a heavy looking sword and dodged it in time. When or how she had gotten that sword was a mystery, but it did not matter. Quickly, the empress drew her weapon and began countering the young girl's, or rather, someone else's advances. They exchanged a few blows and Youko noted the skill that lied within the wielder. Their swords met again, this time with much more force from both sides. Suzu leaped back from the impact and readied herself into a proud stance, ready to strike once again. This time however, the Empress of Kei took the initiative of offense. _I can't always rely on Keiki._ Youko's face came close to her sword as the fierce battle displayed itself on the clearings, and she could see the sparks spitting viciously from the impact and friction. Youko was freezing cold but she made herself move. _Move or die! No one is going to save you this time!_ Her thoughts ran back to the unfriendly kirin involuntarily and she felt herself drifting from the match. Almost was she hit by her opponent did she refocus on the current situation. _Where the hell is he?_

Youko's ragged breathing vibrated in her inflamed lungs. The fact that this fight was going nowhere filled her with intense desperation. She blocked an attack from her right and leaped away from the girl. It was extremely difficult to defend and yet not hurt the attacker. Everything would be so much easier if this person before her was not her friend. Come to think of it, it was her fault. She should not have let Suzu leave their room alone, but should have asked one of Keiki's shireis to offer protection. It was all her fault. If she had given their situation a more thorough thought, this would not have happened. It was because she was incapable and **weak**… that was why her ministers revolted. It was only on justified grounds that Kei be blessed with a more able leader, not with a high school outcast. Youko neither dodged nor blocked the next round of assail, but watched with hopelessness as Suzu brought the sword down on her.

Shoukei brought the dried shrimps back into the kitchen and poured them into a clean earthenware. Ever since that escapade with Kei-o and Suzu, she had been living with Koshou and Sekki. The brothers were kind enough to take her in, and in exchange she would mind their household. She had been torn between serving the empress and leading a normal life, and she chose the latter in the end. Not because she was jealous of Youko; she does not anymore, but because she wanted to distance herself from the perilous life in the court. She did not want to go through the same thing as she did thirty-two years ago. She was contended with being a commoner and intends to keep it this way. Plus, there was someone who has captured her heart.

Her thoughts were suspended when hurried footsteps approached. Shoukei broke into a smile when Sekki came in.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked as she pushed the pottery against the wall.

"There was a revolt! Kei-o and Taiho are gone!" said the young man with trepidation.

Shoukei took a sharp intake of breath and just stood there; paralyzed, unable to process whatever information Sekki was telling her. Her eyes snapped back to concentration when the young man touched her shoulder.

"Shoukei?"

"I...I'm fine." The blue-haired girl stammered and began pacing around the kitchen. She picked up a wooden spoon and then put it down, paused for a moment before busying herself with the steaming pot of soup at a far corner.

"I'm leaving tonight."

The lid of the pot clattered against the firewood as the housekeeper gasped, knocking the whole concoction onto the earth. Sekki grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the boiling mess. Shoukei watched as the hot soup bubbled as it mixed with soil and the steam that rose from the spilled soup, giving off a menacing sizzle.

The ex-princess turned her head and forced a smile upon her lips, "T..Thanks," and looked at the mess she made once more.

"Would you like to come with us?" the young soldier queried softly, gazing intently at the shaken girl.

Shoukei rotated on her heels and laughed. It would have sounded like a hearty laugh coming from a happy woman if seen by a stranger, but Sekki could weigh the nervousness in her voice.

"I have to take care of this place. Our home." Said the blue-haired girl as she returned his gaze with her own.

The raven haired soldier cupped the face of his lover and lowered his lips to meet hers.

After they broke apart, Sekki beamed at the former noblewoman, brushing away a strand of fringe, he said, "There are enough helpers to run this place. But only you can keep me going."

Shoukei blushed furiously at his comment. She had been showered with praises before when the previous Hou era was still standing. She would beam with pride whenever people complimented on her dance or beauty. Nobody had discredited her childish behaviour too, out of fear or respect she did not know, but it did not matter anymore. As long as she is beautiful in the eyes of this charming young man, it would not matter even if the whole world thought of her as unattractive. Shoukei buried herself in the arms of her loved one and immersed herself in the bliss she so treasured.

Night had fallen and the magnificent creature has yet to reach its destination. The unobvious frown that graced his face very so often deepened as he listened to the verbal report from his shirei; Youko has been taken captive and they were heading towards the southern gate of that village.

Keiki kicked at the air harder, urging himself to accelerate. The kirin glanced down and saw what he had been seeing for the past few hours: trees. His heart beat with anticipation when the forest ended and was left behind as he sailed forward faster. Below him, the ground was adorned with small little huts with smoke coming out of their chimneys. The dim orange lights shining from the windows proved the existence of each family. He swerved to the left and flew over more rows of humbly built homes before arriving at a larger household. Keiki dived and landed gracefully on the sandy ground, his hoofs making soft 'thud' sounds. From his position he could see the lights coming out of the dining hall and hear the occasional laughter during dinner.

Keiki throttled to the nearest wall and watched with discreet. He saw carriages at the other end of the building, east from the dining hall, with many people loading things onto them, and guessed that the occupants of this house might be planning to take a short trip to some place. The holy creature of Kei leaped soundlessly across the gap, almost flying, and touchdown outside the propped up window. He knocked at the wall with his front hoof to get their attention. The occupants in the room looked up, some stifled a gasp, and some tried to work their now numbed mouths.

Finally, someone stood up from his seat and bowed slightly, "Welcome, Kei-Taiho."

It was at that moment the people in the room fought to keep their surprise down and stood up, all at the same time. It reminded Keiki of the army's new recruits when Youko inspected them. They had acted as if they would be sent to the gallows if they allowed themselves to even breathe in her pressence, much like what these people were doing now. Though their behaviour amused him to no end, the urgent task at hand made the feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

After he was led inside, he wasted no time to explain his presence to them. Koshou was rigid throughout; however upon hearing Keiki's episode, the muscular man immediately voiced his agreement.

"Great! Now that we have our bearings, it makes things easier."

Shoukei watched quietly at the side of Sekki, whose face wore a relieved yet very worried expression. She knew he was concerned about his country and his empress, so she slipped her callous hand into his and got the same response. The thought of meeting her friends again excite her. But she was more excited about this new risky journey that was to come very soon.

TBC….

Finally…sorry I took so long to get this chapter out. I feel so tired (yawns). It is two-thirty am in the morning right now, so please pardon me if I have any spelling or grammatical errors, or of the sentences doesn't really make sense. I hope not though. . 

Shoukei : I did not watch the episode where Youko revealed herself to the army, so I don't know if Shoukei remained with Youko or left.


	3. Chapter 3

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK.

Chapter 3

Youko felt her whole body vibrating violently. Then came another jerk and pain shot up her spine. She struggled to open her eyes, which after much effort saw total darkness, save for the dim light at the front of her feet. She attempted to sit up and groaned when another excruciating ache spread from her neck to her left shoulder blade. She heard something shift near her feet and her senses became alert. _Where am I?_

She stayed silent until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It did not help much as the darkness still threatened to engulf her whole being. Though mostly blinded by obscurity, the young empress managed to make out her surrounding. _A carriage. I'm in a carriage._ An unexpected jerk came and she bounced painfully on her rear end. _A **moving** carriage._

The red haired teen then remembered her black haired friend, and pivots her searching eyes in every direction and tried to feel the damp floorboards for any sign of another. There were only wooden crates stacked neatly around her and nothing living except for herself, was present in this coach. Admitting and somewhat glad that she was alone, Youko turned herself around and crawled towards the dim light she saw when she was awoken unceremoniously. Feeling her left hand on the fabric, she peeled the flap and peeked through. The young lady was astonished at the environment that lay before her widened green orbs. Her eyes darted right and left, desperately trying to pick up any familiar landmark. But all she saw were trees and a dusty trial moving steadily further away from her. It was unfamiliar territory.

Youko's beautifully arched eyebrows slanted forlornly and her nails sank into the cloth and red markings were left imprinted on her palm. She released the flapping and her hand fell back to her side. Youko pulled her arm away from her waist when her elbow knocked onto something. The late teen grabbed the flapping again and pushed it much higher this time to allow the generous moonlight to aid her eyes. Her eyes were suddenly filled with hope as she made out the basic shape of the Suiguu. It was carefully wrapped with several layers of coarse fabric. Her hope reached a new high when another sudden realisation dawned upon her; the Hinman was still within her. There was no way she could have felt the punishing weight of the imperial sword if the magical being had left her.

The young empress then decided to jump. Steadying herself gingerly, Youko hoisted her body and propelled from the carriage. Her nostrils managed to take in a few breaths of fresh pine air in between the flip before she landed gracefully on the muddy earth, sending blobs of soils beneath her feet to slosh outwards. The carriage did not stop and the coachman continued his journey, oblivious of what just happened. Curious to find out who had taken her captive, Youko decided to follow. She has no idea where she was anyway, and it would be easier to know her bearings once she reached a town.

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Till this day of her life, neither had she forgotten a single detail about it, nor does she intend to. The memory to her was very precious. It was what changed her, made her realise her mistakes, and gave her the chance to find her true destiny. Though she had not heard from them since a couple of years ago, there was no doubt in her that she, _they_, are alive and well. As for the boy who had a crush on her…well, she wished him the best of luck.

Tucking a long strand of ebony hair behind an ear, the college student gathered her notes and left the lecture hall with the throng of students.

"Sugimoto-san!" A voice bellowed from the podium.

Fighting her growing irritation, Sugimoto fought her way over to her lecturer. With her chest heaving up and down, the nineteen-year-old stared expectantly at her bald, bulky and bespectacled Biology professor. The kind looking man was doing anything but talking to her. Sugimoto watched the dull scene unfolded before her, with much…abhorrence. Arrangement of the folders…sticking a pen in his breast pocket and taking it out again to sign the attendence sheet and filling out the necessary details….

Sugimoto cleared her throat, but this chap before her continued with his business. Sugimoto cleared her throat louder this time, and the lecturer glanced briefly at her. Putting the blue ball point pen down, Dr. Shine (as everyone calls him) uttered a sigh and spoke,

"Sugimoto-san, are you experiencing any sort of financial problems lately?"

Something snapped within her and she replied quickly, too quickly, "No. Why would there be?"

Dr. Shine held his steady gaze. The equally stubborn young lady before him stared back.

Finally backing down after five minutes of starring contest, the bald professor took his pen and dropped it into his breast pocket, and gave his student a smile; a genuine smile and walked past the dumbstruck girl. Just when he was about to descend from the podium, he stopped and turned around.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me." And he turned and proceeded towards the door again.

Only when she was alone in the hall, did she allow herself to relax. Clutching her notes in one hand and messaging her temple with the other, her previously terrified mind replayed the scene again. If he found out…no. He would not. He absolutely would not! She would rather have her mother disown her than to speak the truth. It would only bring shame upon her. There was nothing glorious about being poor. Especially in a rich school.

On the road home, the troubled teen was deciding whether or not to find another part-time job. Summer vacation was approaching…the arcade seemed to be the choice… The dark haired girl's eyes twitch at her unpleasant memory; those perverted old men who leered at her, and those adolescents who whistled and made comments about her body. Scratching her head with frustration, the young lady scowled as her eyes laid upon the old building in front of her as she turned at a corner. Treading the filthy steps with extreme caution, Sugimoto made her way to the fifth floor where her apartment was. She past by a wall smeared with undesirable scribbling, and then past another upon turning right before reaching the familiar looking door. She reached into her jeans and pulled out a worn silver key and stuck it into the keyhole. The dull metal gave an approving 'click' and Sugimoto pushed the door and stepped inside. She stopped mid-track and traced her steps backward, peered into the rusted red mailbox next to the door and grunted. Pulling out a white envelope, her guess was confirmed and she entered her apartment and shut the door, not so gently, behind her.

__

Bills…bills…and **bills**! Sugimoto threw her letter on a table which held many other similar white envelopes. Why, her mother had not been kind enough to send her daughter a greeting card. Not even on festive days! The late teen removed her brown coat and hung it on a metal stand next to the window. She reached out and pushed the glass away and the chilly wind of a bad weathered afternoon sneaked into the room. Shivering slightly in her red sweater and jeans, the burden laden girl glanced back at the bills and a scowl presented itself immediately on her beautiful face. Things have been getting tougher and tougher as her dwindling savings continued to shrink. She was already working five hours at night as a cashier but it still was not enough. Thank god she received a scholarship or she would not know how to manage.

You may wonder about her family. Why hadn't they send money? What about her friends? You see, there were many reasons to why Nakajima Youko tried to befriend Sugimoto. Not only were they outcasts in school or at home, they have similar parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Sugimoto despised their daughter. They even went to the extent to adopt another sixteen year old just because Sugimoto was not popular and sociable in school. Even after _that_ "episode", and even after she attempted to change herself, the people around her refused to grant her that chance. A chance that would have made her life much easier, and much happier. So, our near adulthood character here decided to move out after finishing high school, much to her parents' relief. They believed, and were afraid that their biological daughter's negative vibes might affect their precious _substitute_. While the ebony haired girl bears no animosity towards the new family member, if she could still call them family, it still sparked jealousy and hatred in her. She recalled her mother filling out a form where she specifically wrote down that they wanted a fun-loving and socially _active_ child. A person that Sugimoto was not, or was not meant to be in her case. It was not fair. She did not want to be _socially challenged_; a term referred to by all her lecturers and she did not choose to be that way. In any way, it was her parents' fault. She inherited her genes from them did she not? Sugimoto betted her life that one of her parents was just as, if not worse, unsociable as her when he or she was young. The oriental beauty snorted at her memories. What a wonderful life she was leading! Absolutely wonderful!

Then, unexpectedly, her thoughts flew to the distant shores of the Twelve Kingdoms. What would it be like now if she was the chosen one instead? Would she be treated with respect and dignity by her subjects and people? Would she be bathed in sinful luxuries that any frugal commoner would frown upon? Would she be planning important things with her kirin to improve the lives of her people? And in turn would they love her? The thought of a cheering crowd made her breathing irregular. She could become a brilliant queen! One who was certainly much better than Youko?

But it was all not meant for her. She was chosen to stay here; to lead a normal life like another other civilian in this twentieth century world. Life was definitely not just.

TBC…

-----

A/N: Another chapter! I managed to churn out another chapter. Sadly, it is short. I know I promised to length my chapters but I did not have sufficient time. I was particularly busy on Friday and yesterday and today as well! Maybe some of you may prefer to wait for a longer chapter, but I feel that if I do not update ASAP, I would continue to drag on and on… I have a two-day holiday coming right up after tomorrow and I will try to churn out another chapter. If possible, a _longer_ one.

And yes! About the storyline…I said that Youko and company would flee to Horai and I assure you it WILL happen. I know this is taking too long but please please please bear with it for the moment. And also, please do R&R. Thank you guys for the reviews. You have no idea how much appreciated they are. I guess this is it for this chapter then! Hopefully I will be able to meet my dateline (one chapter per week).


	4. Chapter 4

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK.

Chapter 4

The young woman paid the hawker a copper coin and left with an apple. She bit into the crunchy fruit greedily and wiped her forehead with her sleeve. Gazing upwards and squinting at the glaring sun, Youko immediately dropped her head and resume eating. It has been three days since she arrived in Komu; a small town in the southern province of Kei. It was only then she found out that the coachman, who had been carrying her, did not know there was a person in his carriage. He was just a mere transporter! Bewildered and frustrated, Youko took a deep bite out of the red fruit and munched on it angrily, ignoring the juices dribbling out of the corners of her mouth. Several children who were passing by pointed and laughed at their empress's puffed up face, while their mothers hushed them and threw apologetic glances at the red head. Too preoccupied with her predicament, Youko did not pay any heed to them and continued walking. A couple of the mothers gaped rudely and clicked their tongues disapprovingly at their ruler's behaviour, and then went on preaching to their offspring about mannerism.

Needless to say, Youko was lost. Not exactly lost, she was in her territory, but still…

She'd heard of Komu when Keiki gave her lessons on their country's terrains. But the brief mention of this little town was hardly any help at all. All she knew was she was in the southern part of her own country. She did, of course, tried to leave this place, but to her terror, she found that this area, especially the route to the neighbouring village, was infested with Youmas. It was a miracle she survived the whole journey! Though she did suspect that something was not right during that night. Normal peasants do not leave this village, and only dealers or businessmen travel by that route. Usually they will be armed with many weapons and bodyguards. Some were even rich enough to have a small private army of few hundreds for protection. There were agencies that provide armed escorts but Youko did not have the gold required for it. She has tried searching for jobs and it would take about three years to save up for a second-rate service. _By then_, Youko thought, _Keiki might have already died of Shitsudou_.

But having a job is better than not having one. Youko heard from the mouths of the peasants that a rich master wanted to recruit a few more soldiers into his private army, so she decided she would go for the interview.

Chewing the last bits of the fruit, the strayed empress threw its left over into a wooden barrel. After hearing a muffled 'thud', Youko went on about her business. It was still early for the interview, and it gave her time to think about a problem. It was not of her being lost, but rather it was about the Suiguu. What if the master of the manor or even any person saw it and recognizes her? The empress of Kei dressed in commoner clothes and wandering about in her country? It would be preposterous! It was not about pride. Youko has more important issues to worry about. Another issue was Suzu; _what happened to her after she knocked her out? Why wasn't she with her in the carriage? What had the enemy done with her? And was Keiki all right? Was he hurt? Or worse, kidnapped! And what about me? How did I end up alone and **away** from the enemy? Someone must have saved me and then disappeared. But who would do such a thing? _

An image of En-o floated in front of her eyes._ No_, the troubled empress thought, _it couldn't be him. He doesn't even know where I am._

-----

Koshou looked at his brother, and Sekki looked back. Then both of them turned their heads simultaneously back to the unconscious girl before them.

They had ambushed the carriage that was believed to have Youko in it, but the sole passenger that they have discovered threw their efforts for the past two days into the air. For one, their empress was not in it. Secondly, their enemy, or enemies, was not in sight, and lastly, the plan to kill Youko seemed to have failed, for if the empress of Kei was dead, Suzu would be too. The last realization brought a huge amount of relieve to all, but the problem still persists. Where is Youko?

Sekki sighed, and went into the carriage to carry Suzu out. Cradling her carefully in his arms, for fear of aggravating her wounds that she sustained while in captivity, Sekki loaded her onto his mode of transport; a beast, not far away from the site of ambush.

Koshou hung his head dejectedly and with a casual gesture of his hand, he ordered his comrades to retreat for the night. Above the humans, a blanket of darkness slowly crept its way across the dull orange sky, and stars began to claim their spots on the darkness beyond the clouds.

-----

Youko found a large crowd had gathered at the entrance of a luxurious looking estate she was intending to enter. Weaving through the throng of people, the empress saw a group of upper-class peasants sat at the front of the entrance, leaving a wide empty area before them, as everyone gathered around it. She noticed several amour clad men stood at one side, their faces held high towards the sky. The place was briefly decorated, with red and white cloth weaved together and dangling off the roofs. At the centre, two large polished bronze bells tugged dangerously at the cloth. Behind the seated group of the wealthy, a wooden board was standing vertically with black words skillfully written on it- THE BRAVE CHALLENGE

The scene disconcerted young woman, whom by now was attracting some attention due to the colour of her hair. She had thought it would be a private affair, but it seemed that this rich lord here prefers otherwise. Scanning her eyes across the neatly seated nobles, a young man seated near the centre caught the empress's eyes. He could not have been older than twenty-five. He had long black hair which was tied back into a ponytail, and his eyes were focused to the sandy ground. His face was void of expression, but his regal posture showed much of his upbringing. He was the holier-than-thou type of man, one who would spare no second glances to those who were beneath him, or those that were not worthy of his attention. A frown creased Youko's eyebrows and she continued to watch the young lord, with no doubt, was the son of the older, composed man in the middle.

A servant emerged from the household and knelt behind his master, whispering something into his ear. With a nod as reply, the servant, Youko guessed who was no older than twenty, bowed and retraced his steps until he reached the large bells which hung directly behind the rich lords. The young man took the ends of the coloured cloth which dangled with the bells, and gave it a forceful swing. From there, Youko could tell that the weight of the bells was beyond her imagination. Sympathy rose within her as the young servant struggled with his task. The bells rang and it brought silence from the curious spectators. Quietly, the aged lord rose from his sitting position and gazed steadily at the crowd.

"People of Komu!" A strong voice emitted from the mouth of the old man, a sharp contrast with his frail looking body, "You are here to witness a contest of courage which you have never seen before. The brave warriors who have come to take up this challenge, and if he wins, he shall have the honour to travel with me to the capital of Kei, to pay respect to the new sovereign of this country!"

The aged lord's words brought conspicuous murmurs amongst the spectators, but they fell silent as soon as the old man held up his hand in command.

"Our Empress has no doubt fled the Kimpa Palace, if not dead as I fear," the lord continued, "Therefore, I find it necessary to be at the good side of the new government, which undeniably has been formed, to ensure our survival."

Youko's visage tightened, her green orbs dilated with fury. She clenched and unclenched her palms as she listened on. Well! This shows how much support she had while holding office! As soon as her throne was usurped, these people were already preparing to suck up to the rebels! As much as she would like to reveal her identity and watch the reaction she could get from this..this traitorous old man, her logic told her it was not wise to consider such. Youko made a mental note to remember the rich lord and his stuck up son for when she regain her powers, she would certainly love to have a little chat with them.

The old lord sat down again after his opening speech. Youko cursed inwardly for not paying attention and pushed the nagging feeling to the back of her mind, sealing it temporarily. The young servant behind the lord of the manor rang the bell again, this time to signal the start of the contest.

The man nearest to the battle arena stepped forward, followed by the second man. Both took their positions on either side of the arena while holding on to each one's intense gaze. Their amour protested with their every movement as the warriors, as she liked to address them as such, circled the ring like animals readying to pounce, which they did. Everything happened in one swift movement, and if not for the Hinman within her, Youko would have never seen the drawing of swords and the lightning speed those two men possessed. The clanking of the heavy metals drew ohhs and ahhs and the villagers watched on, never in their lives have they seen such spectacular performance. Youko was unimpressed, due to the fact that she had seen her fair share of battles. She turned her attention to the impassive young lord sitting beside his father. His gaze was flitting between the two competitors and Youko could tell that he was as unimpressed as she was. Just as she was about to tear her gaze away, their eyes met. The empress of Kei stiffened at the new attention given by the handsome, as she grudgingly admitted to herself, young lord about forty metres away. The red haired young woman could tell that he was inspecting her. She noticed he paid particular attention to her scarlet hair. This hair of hers, it has brought too much trouble to her already. Youko decided to get it dyed to remove unwanted awareness from people.

The young lord was still studying her, his gaze getting more and more intense by the minute, as if he has found himself an interesting toy worthy of his time. Never once did Youko look away. Oh no, she held her gaze and whenever the young man's gaze fell upon hers after wandering about her features, Youko would will herself to stare back. Hell, she had had enough with Keiki and his disapproving looks. If she were to improve, might as well start now. First, she has to out-stare this imperious young lord. It might sound silly to many, but to Youko it was a battle of wills, one that she could not afford to lose. She did not understand what she would hope to accomplish by participating in this staring competition, but it certainly would do some good in training her how to deal with stubborn ministers. So she stared, and he stared back, none of them willing to back down, and the furious battle in between them slipped into oblivion.

The elderly lord next to his son turned to him, with every intention to discuss the potential of the warriors, but instead he discovered that the young man was more absorbed in something else. Following the line of his gaze, the old lord's suspicious eyes landed on a scarlet haired young woman. The young woman was staring back at his son just as his son was staring back at her. It irritated him to no end. He saw no purpose in wasting his precious time heeding a peasant, a weird one, but still a peasant. For that, a scowl formed on his wrinkled skin and a low growl emitted from his throat to warn his son. The young man finally broke the long gaze to face his father, with that expressionless look still plastered on his face.

"Yes, father?" he inquired quietly.

"Do not waste your time on some mangy peasant!" the older lord hissed through whatever that has remained of his teeth. "We have more important matters to worry about. If we do not reach the capital in three days Heaven knows what Juoyu is going to do!"

The young lord cast his eyes downwards to indicate that he seek forgiveness for his foolish behaviour. A low grunt from his father told him so and the young lord elevated his eyes once again. Stealing a quick glance at the direction he was previously looking at, he found the young woman still there, gazing at him with her quizzical green orbs. If it was not for his father reminder of their current situation, he would have been lost in those beautiful pools of green; _emerald_, he told himself. Finally tearing away his gaze, the young lord felt alarmed that he was reluctant to refocus on his task at hand. He brooded over the effect she had on him, as it was only just a while ago, that he noticed her. Willing himself to be rational, the handsome young lord listened to his father analysis of each warrior.

Youko saw the old lord cast a spiteful glance at her direction and knew what had happened. He thought she was flirting with his son! Oh god, the empress mused to herself. Shaking her head slightly, she found that her subject of training was listening attentively to his father, though she did not fail to pick up that secretive glance he sent her way, before paying attention to father again. Youko was brought back to the current time when the crowd howled with triumph as one of the two warriors has defeated another. Boisterous men punched their fists in the air, adding fuel to the already rowdy spectators. Youko shifted uncomfortably at her spot and wished for the contest to be over with, for she did not have much time left if she wanted to secure her place in this lord's private army. But judging from the previous "incident", she very much figured that whatever impression that the old lord held for her was not to her advantage.

The tired empress sighed and her thoughts wandered to her loyal subject; Keiki. Whenever she felt she could no longer stand the life of the court, her kirin would always be there for her. No matter how reprimanding he looked, or sometimes insensitive towards her, she knew that he was the only one who would stay by her side till the very end. With that blissful thought in mind, Youko allowed herself to smile. Unbeknownst to her, the young lord across her had sneaked another glance at her. When he ascertained that this strange peasant was actually smiling to herself, a whimsical feeling surged through him, making him want to laugh at her weirdness. However, he knew better than to act from his thoughts. The young lord revert his gaze to his father and nod once in a while to agree with him, his mind, on the other hand, revolved around a specific scarlet haired woman standing across him.

-----

TBC…

A/N: Haha…I know this took me long enough, but I'm in the midst of an exam right now and soon another will follow. So I don't really have much time for typing. It's late. Tired. Need sleep. Can't think straight. Forgive me if there's errors. …………Lights out.


	5. Chapter 5

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK except for the characters I have created.

Chapter 5

"Oh, stop that your highness! You lack discipline!"

The woman who exclaimed tucked her clothes back in place, a seductive grin playing on her painted lips. The highness she referred to chortled and took a swig of wine from a small ceramic urn, before turning to the beauty next to him. He snaked an arm around the courtesan and tried to plant a kiss on her face, but was pushed away.

He narrowed his eyes and pretended to be hurt, "Your rejection hurts me Sanra."

The few other courtesans attending to him "awed" and 'tsked' disapprovingly at Sanra, before drowning the nobleman with more wine and flatteries. He gathered all the women around him and was about to reward them with kisses when a knocking on the door interrupted their fun. The interruption startled the occupants in the room and annoyance began to spread across the features of the handsome prince. Releasing his grasp of the warm bodies, the prince adjusted his pristine clothing, making sure he was dressed appropriately to receive any kind of presence. The scantily dressed courtesans giggled at their highness's mannerism and moved away for him to get up.

"Enter." The prince commanded as he stood up.

A child servant entered the suite and bowed before relaying the message given to him, "Your highness, His Majesty requires your presence immediately at the Kimpa Palace."

The prince sneered and dismissed the servant with a flick of his wrist. After the lad was gone, the he uttered a dramatic sigh which sent all the women to fawn over him again.

"Oh your highness, must you leave?"

"Please stay for while more…"

"Don't leave us! When are you coming back?"

The charismatic prince raised his arms and draped them over the shoulders of the nearest courtesans on either side, "Ladies, please hush." He said quietly, and the flustered women fell silent.

He kept his head low for a few moments before lifting it up again. He took in the pleading faces of the beautiful women around him and sighed mentally. The smell of perfume and wine that swirled about the room was enough to tempt him to stay a little longer, even if it meant receiving the wrath of his father later on. But a prince had duties to perform…

The prince put on his best puppy face that could make most women melt, "There are duties which I cannot neglect ladies. Please forgive me for such a short notice."

He removed his arms, and immediately he longed to touch a woman's curve again. Women… they are such exotic creatures and should be cherished. Every curve they possessed was heaven's gift bestowed upon men. But only men like him knew how to appreciate such beauty. Forcing his twitching fingers to behave, the youthful looking prince brushed his long black bangs away from his face, and with a smile, strode towards the wooden doors, ignoring the pleas of the courtesans.

Their cries dulled as he closed the doors behind him. He was not pleased. What could be so urgent that his father had to take him away from them? Inhaling the thinning fragrance of the perfume, the young man brushed his bangs again, only this time in frustration. Seriously, couldn't his father have a more perfect timing? Juoyu knew his son had to have a dose of beautiful women once every few days. He could not bear the sight of those hideous palace maids his father had sent to wait on him, on purpose nonetheless. Ohh… let Heaven have mercy on his exquisite taste for women….

Grumbling as he went, the jaded prince boarded the carriage that had been waiting for him at the main gate. He cast one last longing glance at the building which houses sooooo many beautiful ladies and sighed to himself once again. _Distance will make my heart grow fonder…_

The proclaimed emperor paced anxiously about his study. The study of the previous empress to be exact, but it did not matter; everything was his now. He owned this palace and this country. The capital and its neighbours had already pledged their allegiance to him, and he was sure the others would soon follow. Whether or not the kirin approved, this country will not do without a ruler, and he made sure every single civilian knows that. He had earlier released a notice of his new term in office as Emperor of Kei, and so far the response was pretty satisfying. Rich lords from all over Kei were either sending in gold, women or soldiers; resources that would be of benefit.

However, one problem remained.

He had gathered from his spies that En-O was not too happy about this upsurge, and it would set Juoyu back greatly if he did not have the support of the powerful kingdom. Kei needed powerful allies, especially now. Everyone in the court knew En-O was a friend of this red haired wench, or perhaps more than anyone had dared to imply. He had to find a way to wrestle support from that useless wench. Ha! Look at her response when someone tried to take her throne! She ran with her tail tucked between her hind legs! Coward! It was better now that he had rid Kei of such an incompetent empress. They seem to be better at creating more problems than solving them. Juoyu snorted indignantly as he continued to pace in front of his desk. The candle on the wooden ornate was dying out, and the world outside the window was an eerie silence, signifying the day coming to an end.

The message he sent to the brothel had left some time ago… so where in Heaven's name was his son!

Sometimes he really wondered if the young man he bore was of his own blood. All that lad did all day was lust over women! To think after reaching a more mature age he would learn. Such affections were bound to create unnecessary trouble.

The flame on the short candle sputtered and died out, leaving the furious old man to bathe in the ethereal light of the moon. It took all his will power not to send soldiers to locate his lazy, lustful and unproductive….all in all, an **incompetent** son! He was cursed, Juoyu decided, and left the study to retreat for the night. He would deal with his son tomorrow. Oh yes he would.

"Your highness." A soldier saluted as he opened the door for his new lord.

The dark haired prince nodded impassively and started his way pass the main gate to the royal chambers. It was very late in the night, or early in the morning depending on which preferred, and he was certain his father had already went to bed. _So whatever it was, it wasn't so important after all._ The disgruntled prince stretched his stiff arms over his head, stifling a yawn as he stopped to enter his private chamber. The picture of those wonderful women surfaced to his thoughts again. He could almost feel the soft bodies of the beautiful creatures…His fingers twitched, yearning for something to fulfil its desires.

_Well_, he thought, _they would have to wait_.

Youko watched at the elderly lord declared a warrior the winner for the contest. The feeble man struggled to raise a huge fist of a tired warrior who was a head taller than he. Finally, the competition was over! It had taken longer than anyone had expected, and the sky was already red with its dark edges threatening to overtake the bright colour. Not that Youko minded; the later it was the better. There would be lesser people present should any conflict occur.

A younger man not older than forty stood up from the line of nobles and bellowed heartily, "Thank you, people of Komu for witnessing such a spectacular event! This promising young man here," he paused to give a cursory glance to the perspiring warrior, "shall have the honour of travelling with us to the capital to pay respect to the new emperor!"

The crowd roared with life, shoving the red haired girl around in a sea of restless bodies. Youko winced when someone stepped on her foot. The crowd fell to a hush when the middle age lord raised his hand in command for silence.

"As everyone can see, the day is getting late. On behalf of the Yuusuen family, I bid everyone a good day. Thank you." The nobleman resumed his position after his speech.

Civilians murmured amongst themselves. That's it? Youko heard someone ask. Soon, the crowd dissipated with disappointment. They had thought the rich lords were going to throw a feast for everyone in the town.

Only one remained stationary as people left. Her scarlet hair shone brighter in the evening light, capturing the attention of the line of lords upfront. The old lord Yuusuen scrunched up his nose in disgust, clearly displeased at the lass before his eyes. Some peasants were too odd for his liking. Like this one; what was it with the red hair? And why was she standing there and staring at them when they had made it clear for everyone to leave? Uncouthness was something he sees everyday, this wench was probably here to beg for food or a job. _Hn__! She isn't even fit to be a bed warmer!_

"What business do you have?"

Everyone's attention snapped to the youngest lord in the group. The lord of the manor gave his son a sharp look, but was ignored.

Youko was dumbfounded. Now that she had their full attention, she did not know how to put forward her proposal. Someone cleared his throat and Youko snapped out of her reverie. She had not realized she had been staring at the young lord. Choking back her embarrassment, Youko tried to muster up her confidence as she spoke.

"I have a request." The young empress stated, and then quickly adds in another "your lordship."

The cold demeanour vanished and was replaced by an air of arrogance. The young lord raised an eyebrow dramatically at her words and stared back, not bothering to respond. She knew he was teasing her. He wanted to see what type of reaction she would give him. _Jerk._

"My lord." Youko said, this time with a stiff little bow.

The young lord smirked, "And what may your request be?"

As soon as the even masculine tone reached her ears, Youko wanted badly to scratch out his eyes. But she held herself, _someone has to be the_ _wiser one here_..

"My lord, I wish to be part of your entourage to the capital." She replied, taking in their reaction, which was a mix of amusement and disbelief. Several of them even burst into a fit laughter.

"Why?" was the question asked.

"I wish to serve the emperor." Youko said and she would have slapped herself for the lame reason if she were not in such a predicament.

The cocky young man leaned back and lifted his chin to inspect Youko. Then he laughed. Everybody was caught surprised, even the old lord Yuusuen. After the laughter ceased, the youngest lord scanned the woman in front of him again.

"You? Serve the emperor?"

Youko narrowed her eyes and did her best to look dignified, "Yes my lord. Is it that amusing that I am pledging my loyalty to the new emperor?"

The servants behind the rich lords gasped. The women formed an "o" with their mouths, while the men gaped with bulging eyes. His eyes flashed with anger, never before had anyone beneath his status tried to challenge him. _This woman is interesting_, young lord Yuusuen thought.

A gust of wind blew past the humans frozen to the ground. His long jet-black hair fluttered in the air and his shoulder length bangs danced to the teasing wails brought by the wind currents. Young lord Yuusuen rose from his cushioned seat and strode confidently, if not a little arrogantly towards the scarlet head.

Youko fought the urge to take a step back and squared her shoulders instead. A spoiled lord who was too used to getting his own way will not intimidate her. The young lord stopped three feet away from his empress, and stared down at her with an unappreciative look. He then ambled around her in circles, nodding and frowning occasionally at certain anatomies.

The remaining lords snickered; some even threw appreciative glances at her neckline. The young empress gritted her teeth, her fists clenched with rage.

What the hell was he doing? How dare he treat a lady in such a degrading manner!

Too angry to think, Youko spun around and closed in the distance between them. Raising an arm, she brought her palm across the smirking face of the young lord, wiping away whatever arrogance he held.

The older lords roared with outrage, while their servants cried in disbelief. It took a few moments for the proud lord to register what happened. He touched his red cheek with a trembling hand, and then his body began to shake with fury.

Already predicted what was about to come, Youko darted away from the young lord just as his hand swiped down at her. The young lord growled at the lack of contact and advanced at the retreating form. Youko had her hand on the hilt of Suiguu, ready to strike. Old lord Yuusuen yelled at his servants to capture the insolent girl and Youko soon had herself surrounded by two dozen men, each armed with either wooden poles or swords.

Perspiration poured started to pour from her forehead as Youko tried to listen to the Hinman for instructions. Eight in front, ten on both side, and six behind. _Great, just great! I'm going to die before I reclaim my kingdom._ Youko felt the Hinman's power course through her blood vessels, heightening her level of adrenaline. Making sure she had a steady grasp on the hilt, Youko charged at her nearest threat.

He could feel her queenly aura nearby now. Keiki galloped faster, urging himself to his master as soon as possible. Behind his back rode a terrified Suzu clutching to his mane like a lifeline. As soon as Suzu had awoke and well enough to travel, Keiki carried her away to continue for the search of their empress. He knew their friends would be frantic, but he managed to push the nagging guilt to the back of his mind. His shirei had reported to him again; this time confirming a location. The holy creature's heart could not afford to wait, and so had left when Koshou and the others were not looking.

His heart soared when he saw that they had reached their destination. He dived abruptly, causing the terrified girl on his back to whimper and her grip on his mane to tighten.

"It will be all right, Suzu." The holy beast tried to reassure her, but Suzu only tightened her grip on him.

Keiki heard the mortals below gasped and cried with delight, but he did not care who had seen him. Saving Youko was more important. The moment his hoofs touch the reddish sand, he sped past the shocked peasants, causing them to scurry out of his path. _To the left…_and Keiki followed the instruction. He swerved into an alley, almost knocking down a young child.

"Forgive me child."

The toddler picked himself up and stared at the white beast that almost knocked into him. The child smiled as the holy beast's voice replayed in his ears. Kirins are such beautiful creatures, and intriguing too! Dusting his clothes, he hurried away for home, anxious to tell the adults what he saw.

Youko gawked at the scene unfolding before her. Just when she was about to attack, a red beast emerged from the ground and swiped at the armed men.

It was Keiki's shirei.

For the rest of the fight, all Youko could do, or had to do, was to stand there and watch as the ferocious beast battled fiercely with the mortals. She winced as the huge beast tore a man's torso, spilling his blood on his petrified comrades. Looking past the carnage, Youko saw the old lord Yuusuen shaking with fury, so much so that his family members had to support him. She could see why; his men were fleeing under the attack of a **single** youma. The youngest lord, however, had more back bone, and was currently trying to injure her protector, using a bloodied sword left by a dead man.

It was like intuition. Youko knew Keiki was coming for her. She scanned the darkening sky for any white spectre, but saw none. But she could feel him nearing at an inhuman speed. But from where?

As if on cue, a white beast burst into the arena, its angry neighs sending the powerless men into greater frenzy.

"Ke-Kei-Taiho! What is he doing here!" Youko heard one shrieked.

Their assailants were now scampering behind the lord of the manor. The red beast in the centre snarled dangerously before trotting faithfully to Youko's side. Suzu sensed the lack of movement and lifted her head. What greeted her senses was far worse than what she had to endure during the flight. She choked back her tears and buried her face in Keiki's golden mane.

"What in the Heaven's name…" the old lord's words trailed off as he waved his bony finger at Keiki, then at Youko.

Colour drained from their faces and the weapons began to drop from their hands. They had just tried to kill the empress of Kei. **Their** empress. Not far away, the youngest lord of Yuusuen also let the weapon slip from his fingers, his eyes wide with denial.

Not wasting another second, Youko hopped onto Keiki's shirei and soon enough they were off the ground. Too many people had sighted the kirin, and it would only be a matter of time before the local authorities arrive.

Looking behind her shoulder, Youko saw people had begun to occupy the spot she once stood, gazing up at the retreating creatures with fascination. They had just met face to face with their empress, and it was not a sight to forget easily. The young girl groaned inwardly. How many more people were going to recognise her? Somehow, she liked to infiltrate the public and find the essence of a problem. It was much simpler, not to mention effective, in weeding out trouble. Much to the displeasure of Keiki though. At the thought of her kirin, Youko turned to look at the majestic creature five feet away from her. Their eyes met briefly before Keiki turned to concentrate on their escape.

Youko snorted inwardly and turned away too. From her peripheral vision, the young empress saw that they were being followed. An arrow was shot and it whizzed past under her chin, missing her skin by mere millimetres. Youko gasped and grabbed her throat. Feeling the smooth skin under her fingers, her racing heart slowed down a little.

"Your Majesty," Keiki called out, his voice a little distorted by the wind charging at their faces, "let's go beyond the sea. They would give up their pursuit once we near the national border."

Youko nodded in agreement and urged the speeding beast to accelerate. Another arrow was shot; this time it was aimed for Suzu. The raven haired girl screamed as the arrow made its way to her. Keiki dived, avoiding the offending weapon entirely. Suzu jerked in her position and brought a hand to her mouth. Her face was turning green, Youko noted, and she looked about to pass out. Spinning her head to face the horizon, she fervently hoped that they would be able to make it to the sea before they were either hit, or before Suzu slipped from Keiki's back. That prospect was becoming more promising as they neared the waters. The scent of salty water assaulted her nostrils and Youko never felt so glad before. Beneath her, the red beast grunted at the strong wave of smell, but it did not slow down its pace.

The fleeing empress snapped back to attention when she heard multiple arrows being fired. One of them grazed her arm and it almost made her release her hold on the beast. She heard Suzu screamed and turned to see an arrow embedded on the back of her right shoulder. Keiki neighed and galloped faster, trying very hard to block out the awful smell of blood. He saw the beach flew past them beneath his hoofs and galloped even faster. His lungs burned with intense heat and his muscles ache. He cast a swift glance behind his shoulder and saw the local authorities were still hot on their tails. _Why?_

There was no way they could turn back, and neither could they advance further. If they do, the coast guards of Kou would attack them. They were dangerously close to the border now; a few kilometres more and they would be officially invading the waters of Kou. He doubted the Kou-O would be as lenient towards them as En-O would. That left them with no other options.

Gathering his holy powers, Keiki began to summon a Shoku. Their pursuers were at a safe distance; this means they would be safe even after they reach Horai.

"Your Majesty!" Keiki called out, "we cannot proceed any further! I propose that we depart for Horai!"

Youko's eyes widened. _We're going to Horai? To __Japan_

"Alright!" Youko hollered back.

The prospect of returning home was somewhat unnerving. She had been gone for years! What if someone she once knew recognised her and alerted the police? Swallowing the lump in her throat, Youko threw a cursory glance behind her shoulder and gasped. Their pursuers were closing in on them. They had to hurry!

Suddenly, a warm sensation engulfed her entire being, soothing her dry throat and easing her tensed muscles. Youko closed her eyes to enjoy the wondrous sensation. It was the same feeling when she was first transported to the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. Youko heard the beast beneath her purred and almost nodded in agreement. Then came an abrupt change; the air became so thin that she could not breathe. Her muscles became strained again, and the blood pounding in her head was unbearable. Gasping for air and holding on to Keiki's shirei at the same time, Youko thought she was going to die. She opened her eyes by a fraction and saw Suzu and Keiki in the same situation. Their surrounding was a mass blur, and she could not make anything out of it. It was as if they were caught in the middle of two portals of both worlds. The beast beneath her became restless as it thrashes about. Youko bent down to hug the animal to prevent herself from falling. Finally to what seemed like eternity, they could all breathe again. Youko was actually relieved for moment. But her joy was short lived.

They were falling. Fast.

Despite them falling and their surroundings being a blur, Youko could make out the tall modern buildings and its colourful city lights. They had arrived in Japan. Youko dug her heels into the sides of the falling beast to wake it up. He had to wake up!

"WAKE UP! KEIKI! SUZU! AND YOU TOO!" Youko roared as she dug her heels into the flesh of the beast she was riding again.

The red animal beneath her seemed to have heard her. It kicked against the air and suddenly everything stopped spinning and she could see clearly now, the modern city of Japan, and they were just hovering metres above the waters. Youko looked up and saw that Keiki had stopped falling too, with Suzu almost dangling from the white creature, blood flowing freely from her wound. Everyone paused to breathe and sorted out their emotions which were moving at an abnormal speed.

It was then Youko really took in their environment. It was already nightfall in Japan, and they were in the middle of a sea port. There was a titan sized cargo ship not too far away from them. They had to hide before they were spotted.

"We have to hide. Let's go over there." Youko stated, and commanded Keiki's shirei to forward in the direction of the large ship..

"Hmm?" A man in his navy uniform blinked.

His older counterpart threw a cursory glance at him before returning to his newspaper, "Sighted something?"

The man opened his mouth to answer but closed it again. It was gone; he thought he saw two white and red animals hovering in front of a cargo ship some yards away.

The man's colleague chuckled and reached for his coffee mug. Taking a sip and setting the mug back, he turned to his colleague and mused, "Saw a mermaid or something?"

The younger man opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by his older counterpart, "I stopped fantasizing about mermaid ever since I was ten. You should too."

Giving the flabbergasted man a pat on the shoulder, the older navy man resumed to read his newspaper.

A/N: YAY! FINALLY! THEY"RE IN JAPAN! (cheers)

Oh yes, I almost forgot, I didn't give a name to Juoyu's son because I haven't thought of one yet. As for the pompous young lord, he shall be referred as the young Yuusuen lord for the time being.

Don't worry…how could I forget? THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! (bows)You have no idea how much it means to me (smiles) Sorry for the dragging part though. I said they were going back to Japan but I guess it took a little too long huh? . Hehehe…(sheepish) Actually, I was going to make Youko travel with the Yuusuen(s), just like CallaRose said, but somehow I deviated from that. LOL. . 

Ohhh…I need sleep now…I have school tomorrow. My mum is going to kill if she knew what time it is now. . (yawns)


	6. Chapter 6

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK except for my own characters.

Chapter 6

Shouryu rested his chin on his clasped hands whose elbows were propped on his study table, with a wistful expression on his face. He closed his eyes, shutting out the golden blonde kirin standing across him.

Rokuta closed his eyes as well. He knew what his master was thinking. There was no need to exchange any word at this point of time.

_May Heaven show them the way…_

OoOoOoOoOoOo

If looks could kill, every single immortal present at the morning court would have died.

News had spread that the Saiho was spotted at Komu, along with their empress. While the local constables did give chase, but they lost their "offenders" near the international border shared between Kou and Kei. It set off everybody in the Kei Kingdom, the commoners especially, were ecstatic.

Needless to mention, Juoyu was livid. This was why everyone was practically squirming with unease. The poor messenger was withering under the old man's glare so much so that he left immediately without bowing after reading the report.

Juoyu gripped the armrest of the throne forcefully. As if hearing the report would appease him. He had already guessed why they failed to bring the red haired wench and the kirin- that's right, _the_ kirin, not _her_- back to the palace. Those two were literally out of his reach; and to all places it had to be Horai. _When I get my hands on them…_ Juoyu growled. A country's sovereign can never leave their country for an extended period of time, for his or her kirin would fall sick and die, and that would stripped them of their authority. And of course the red hair wench would not allow Keiki to die. Saiho _will_ comply whether he likes it or not, and Juoyu would make sure he does.

Juoyu cleared his throat to get the attention of the murmuring ministers, "I will decide a suitable course of action after some consideration. Court dismissed."

With that, Juoyu stood up and disappear behind the yellow tapestry next to the throne, leaving the ministers to their own devices for the time being.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Youko did as she was instructed by Keiki; she placed the Suiguu close to Suzu wounds and watched with fascination as Hekisojou as the crystal glowed with a green luminous light. In the dark, it gave her face an eerie look which resembled a spirit. She was further amazed when she saw the bleeding stopped and the cells of the broken skin began to replicate itself until the skin returned to its flawless self. The impressed empress then proceeded to heal her own wounds. Thank goodness Keiki had not sustained any. If he did, she wondered if they would be caught by the Komu constables.

Shaking her head slightly to remove the unpleasant thoughts, Youko wrapped the Suiguu in a cloth and secured it with cotton strings. Leaning the sword carefully against a tree trunk, Youko looked around and took in their surroundings. They had found temporary refuge in a forest near the sea port a few hours ago. There were lightning and thunder but thank god it did not rain. Though they would not fall sick, but it still brought a definite amount of discomfort to be soaked.

Dawn was breaking now, but the dense leaves filtered the sunlight and thin rays of morning's warmth formed patches all over the greenery and over them as well. Youko inclined her head and let the gentle rays grace her tanned skin. It felt so good to be under the sun. She never really had the chance when she had to deal with the matters of the court. But right now, she was neither at the court nor in the Twelve Kingdoms, and for the first time in her years of being empress, she felt relaxed and without burden.

Youko sighed inwardly. She used to let her emotions show very easily until she learnt that her ministers could read them with ease and had manipulated that to their own advantage. She cringed at the thought and a picture of Keiki in his usual disapproving expression floated in front of her eyes, haunting her. Somehow, she could never meet Keiki's expectations. God if she knew what his expectations are. His standards are so unattainable that Youko wondered if he was a perfectionist. And then there was his attitude; always cold and distant, yet kind and loyal. Youko groaned at the thought of the broodingly handsome kirin. Damn him! Couldn't he just belong to a category and save her the misery? It would certainly help if she could define his personality. Or even a change of his personality would be nice. The scarlet haired empress tried to form a picture of a smiling, really smiling Keiki but found that she could not. All she saw was that reserved smile he would occasionally give her when he felt like it. Then her thoughts flew grudgingly to Rokuta. He was a swell kid, child or kirin oh whatever- but it would be fun to have him around. Sometimes when he and En-O drop by, Rokuta would whisper an exaggerated description of what Shouryu did and how much of a slob he was. The emperor of En kept her entertained as well. The tall, dark haired emperor would sometimes banter with his kirin over ridiculous matters. She noted how his facial expression shifted every time Rokuta talked back. Seriously, the man did not act his age. Keiki stood next to her all the time, sighing every so often at the display.

An orange spark caught her eyes and Youko stretched her neck to see the waking horizon. The sun was almost up by now but Keiki was nowhere to be seen. He had taken off when Youko wanted to heal the wounds. Youko stood up from her spot and looked around, looking for a bright contrast in this forest of green. Throwing a cursory glance at Suzu, whom she found was asleep, the redhead wandered off aimlessly, relying solely on her intuition. She finally found who she was looking for was standing next to a tree, his platinum blonde hair glistening under the early sun. His red shirei was nowhere to be seen, she noticed. Youko stepped onto a thin branch and the startled man spun around, his visage relaxing when he found out it was only his master.

Keiki did a stiff little bow and gazed at Youko with his usual troubled eyes. The redhaired empress proceeded towards her servant and stopped two feet away from him. The blonde man's purple eyes narrowed by a fraction as he addressed the empress of Kei.

"Your Majesty." He said, gazing intently into a pair of solemn green orbs.

"Are you upset, Keiki?" Youko inquired softly, searching his eyes for answers.

Keiki widened his eyes quite uncharacteristically and took a step back, his fine brows pulling down even more and closed his eyes, admitting his mental state. "Yes Your Majesty, I am worried about our country."

"What I am asking," Youko said to him, taking a step forward to compensate the distance, "is that are you upset with me? Are you angry that I was unable to win the hearts of my people?"

Keiki was, once again, taken aback by her question. He did not see that coming at all, his master usually kept things to herself unless she was fed up with him. The wheels in his mind went to work, sorting out his thoughts into coherent sentences for a reply.

"Minister Juoyu was a power greedy individual, Your Majesty. There are many others who have stayed loyal to you. Those who are misled by the lies spun by that devious man will realize their mistakes and ask for your forgiveness. I am sure that the people of Kei know this as well."

Youko frowned. This was not the answer she wanted to hear; Keiki had cleverly avoided her question altogether! Youko opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by a piercing cry coming from their makeshift camp. Both of them rushed back immediately, fearing of any harm that might have come upon the raven haired girl.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

As soon as he gave the instructions on how to work the Hekisojou, Keiki hurried away from his female companions. He was still feeling nauseas from the blood that Suzu spilled on him. He really needed to get away from them. Also, he needed some time alone to think. After giving orders to his shirei, the broad shoulder man ambled deeper into the forest.

Keiki slowed down by a tree and stood there, admiring the beauty that Heaven bestowed upon the land. Every single plant and animal was sacred. He could almost feel the forest breathe and the heartbeats that pulsated in unison. A light breeze blew passed him, causing his lengthy platinum blonde hair to swing simultaneously, and his robe to ruffle silently. Taking a deep breathe into his lungs, the pale looking kirin frowned and flashbacked. He mulled over his action of bringing the three of them to Horai. Keiki knew fully well that even if they were to violate Kou's waters, and even if the locals guarding the coast would fire upon them, once their identities were clarified no one would dare lay a finger on them, for Youko was still the legitimate ruler of Kei. And even if Kou-O isn't too kind on them, surely he would not hand them over to the rebels. _What am I thinking…_Only Heaven knows if any rebels were hiding in their neighboring countries. No matter what, it would still be safer in Horai wouldn't it? Only kirins can transcend this boundary. However inevitable may Heaven's law act against me, Horai is still the safest place.

_ Is that so?_

Yes, those rebels can never reach us there. We. Are. Safe.

_Liar.__ You know fully well what your intentions are. You knew the consequences of bringing her here and yet you still plunge into this valley of danger. _

I know not what you are speaking of.

_You are in denial my child. The only reason why you decided to come here is-_

The sound of twigs snapping brought him back to reality. For a moment fear seized him and Keiki spun around only to see a familiar face. He relaxed, shoulders slumping a little as he bowed. The blonde kirin watched as his master closed the distance between them and he stiffened involuntarily as she violated his comfort zone.

To alleviate his nervousness, Keiki decided to address her, "Your Majesty."

"Are you upset, Keiki?" the red hair beauty in front of him inquired softly while searching his purples orbs with her green ones.

Keiki widened his eyes quite uncharacteristically and took a step back, his fine brows pulling down even more and closed his eyes, admitting his mental state. "Yes Your Majesty, I am worried about our country."

"What I am asking," Youko said to him, taking a step forward to compensate the distance, "is that are you upset with me? Are you angry that I was unable to win the hearts of my people?"

Keiki was, once again, taken aback by her question. He did not see that coming at all, his master usually kept things to herself unless she was fed up with him. The wheels in his mind went to work, sorting out his thoughts into coherent sentences for a reply. _Youko__…_

"Minister Juoyu was a power greedy individual, Your Majesty. There are many others who have stayed loyal to you. Those who are misled by the lies spun by that devious man will realize their mistakes and ask for your forgiveness. I am sure that the people of Kei know this as well." _I pledge my loyalty to you…_

The tanned girl's brows brought together into a frown. She stared hard into Keiki's eyes as if blaming him for something he did not know. The tall man knew what his empress meant, but he avoided her question altogether. He knew where this conversation will lead to if he did not deviate from the topic a little. The previous empress used to ask him such questions too, and he had answered them truthfully, only to have the young lady going hysterical. He cannot…he cannot allow himself to repeat his past mistakes… Keiki's thoughts flew to somewhere else; this time to unveil a more disturbing memory.

_"You seduced him! Kirins are kind and merciful! You must have seduced him!"_

_ "Please, Your Majesty I did not commit such acts. Please have mercy on me!" a female servant of the palace cried, tears flowing freely from her terrified eyes._

_ Murmurs were spreading around the courtroom as people gathered to watch their empress's ridiculous antics. _

_ "Your Majesty, please.." Keiki pleaded softly. _

_ "I want her executed, Keiki. Surely you must understand my reasons. I am trying to protect you from this venomous bunch! They are here to seduce you to do their biddings!" Yo-ou said, releasing her grasp on the servant's hair and moved in on the holy beast. _

_ She grabbed onto the front of his robe and stared up at him with wide eyes filled with adoration and lunacy, and cooed, "I am doing this for you, Keiki…"_

He was, again, rudely interrupted from his thoughts by an external factor. They heard Suzu's scream pierced thought the forest and their instincts kicked in. darting towards their makeshift camp.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Youko screeched to a halt when she saw what lay before her. Or rather, above her. She blinked in disbelief and then sighed in exasperation. Keiki too, shared her sentiments. Suzu was clinging onto a tree branch ten feet above them, with her eyes wide with fear, starring at something to their right. Youko looked at the trembling form on the tree and followed her line of vision to see what was terrorizing the poor girl.

Then Youko burst out with laughter. Her kirin was shocked (for the third time this hour) and he did not notice he was gaping at her, quite rudely in fact. The terrified form on the branch also stopped shaking and pouted angrily at the red haired empress.

"You're so mean! I was really terrified." Suzu sniffed indignantly.

Youko clutched her sides and threw back her head, allowing her to howl louder. Keiki wanted to reach out but withdrew his hand instead. Never before had he seen his master in such a jovial mood. Truth to be told, it was rather disconcerting to see her laughing like that.

"Your Majesty?" Keiki called out uncertainly.

The blonde kirin did not see what was so hilarious about the subject that made his empress laugh. Glancing at the dead rat in distaste, he quickly averted his gaze to somewhere else, which happened to be Youko. And she was still laughing, her nose making snorting noises while she gasped for air. Finally after seemed like hours, the young empress ceased her laughter, but the mirth remained in her eyes, dancing about the green orbs.

Keiki's eyebrows pulled together and sighed inwardly. He looked upwards and then back at the dead creature before turning his head swiftly to another direction. He had ordered his shirei to hunt them some food while he thought about certain issues alone. Apparently, the delicacy it deemed appropriate was not very suitable for the likes of them.

"How did that rat get here?" Youko inquired, her lips curving into a grin.

Suzu chewed her lips and glared at the empress beneath, who was putting in effort to look serious. "I don't know, I woke up and saw that thing lying next to me."

Youko shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. Keiki cleared his throat and two heads snapped to attention.

"I apologize, Suzu, for it was I who ordered my shirei to forage for rations. It did not mean to scare you." Keiki, although mildly amused at the girl still hugging the branch, was sympathetic. It was not his wish to alarm her as such.

The raven haired girl's features softened with guilt; she had not think the Saiho would be upset by her outburst. The small framed girl pushed herself off the branch and climbed down the three. Youko was impressed by that for she herself did not know how to climb one. The moment her foot touched the grassy land, Suzu dropped to her knees with her palms pushing into the soil and her hung head low.

"I'm sorry I have alerted you and Your Majesty unnecessarily. Please forgive me." With that, her head went even lower, until her bangs grazed the earth.

Youko turned serious again. "It's all right Suzu, we weren't doing anything important. You don't have to apologize." The red haired empress approached her friend and knelt down next to her, urging her to rise.

Gingerly, Suzu abided and rose from her knees, dusting her now dirty hands. The sunlight enhanced her luminosity and they could see scrapes on her hands and chin. She must have sustained those while climbing the tree.

Youko squinted at the strong beams sent by the sun. Judging from the intensity of the heat and light, Youko speculated that it was summer in Japan. She had always wondered if the seasonal changes were in sync with the ones beyond the distant shores. If so, perhaps she could persuade Keiki to allow her to visit when matters were no urgent. Maybe she could talk the stubborn mull into importing goods from Japan to give her a leeway of escaping her dull life once in a while. It might just do well for Kei's economy too. With the new proposal now tucked at the back of her mind until the time was ripe to talk to Keiki, Youko brought herself back to reality.

"Keiki," She called out and the taller immortal turned to her, his hair swishing slightly with the movement. "Should we go back?"

His handsome features scrunched up in deep thoughts, pondering over the possibilities and weighing the consequences that came with it. Finally, he shook his head. "I suggest that we stay here for the time being, Your Majesty. After that occurrence, I am sure Juoyu would have notified every single person in the country to look out for us."

It was Youko's turn to frown. "But if I stay here for too long, you would fall sick."

Yes, Keiki had thought of that too. However if they were to return, the risks outweighed the advantages. For one, the crowd that they had encountered back at Komu was definitely going to spread the word about sighting the empress and her kirin. In fact, En-O himself may have already known by now, judging from the power of gossip and the spy network, the latter invisible to most.

"I have thought about that too, Your Majesty." Keiki said calmly. "I would still be healthy for some period of time before the law of Heaven takes effect. Furthermore, we have a very plausible reason for remaining here. I am sure Heaven would grace us some time. However, we would be putting great risk to ourselves if we return. Especially you, Your Majesty, for no harm shall come to you. If my speculations are correct, word has already spread beyond our territory."

Youko uttered a sigh out loud. Oh god, how could she forget? The whole of Yuusuen family was a family of dogs loyal to Juoyu. No doubt they would be the first to offer themselves to hunt the trio down. Her thoughts brought back the unpleasant memories of the young lord and Youko's lips stretched into a thin line. When she gets her throne back, she was so going to re-educate the proud lord. Youko nodded satisfactory to herself.

Keiki had the extreme urge to grab his master and shake her hard. It was obvious she was neither with the discussion, nor was she with them anymore.

Pushing back his annoyance, the holy creature spoke, "Your Majesty?"

Youko blinked once, and twice before her eyes focused on the annoyed looking kirin before her. She stared at him for a while before she realized he was waiting for an answer.

Blushing with embarrassment, the empress quickly inclined her head, "Yes, it seems so to me too. We shall stay here as of temporary."

Nevertheless, they needed a place to stay.

Youko dug into her clothes for something and after much wrenching and grunting, she pulled out an exquisite looking hairpin with multiple stones of all colours on it done by excellent workmanship.

"I could pawn this for money." Youko announced hopefully. She hoped Keiki would not mind her trying to sell off something of value from the palace.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Keiki bowed and his wayward hair fell over his face.

OoOoOoOoOo

Yuka jolted from her sleep and gasped desperately for air. Under the ethereal moonlight coming through the only window, her contorted face was highly visible in the dark night. The perspiration dotting her forehead created a beautiful shimmer. Her damp hair matted against her wet forehead and her clothes were now soaked by the sheen of sweat that coated her body. The tired form shivered, not out of the cold, but out of the fear that was tying a knot in her gut.

Once she calmed down, Yuku started to stare into the shadowy walls across her, and immediately the unpleasant dream came flooding back to her. Her head spun and she steadied herself by planting her hands on her futon. Yuka gently shook her head, telling herself it was just a dream, that it was not true, that-

_Stop it! Don't think about it! It's just a dream, so it can't be true. He can't be dea-_

Yuka lolled back her head and tilted her head towards the opened window and saw the moon was about to be blocked by a mass of fluffy cloud. A delicate breeze brought into the one-room apartment and it lifted her spirit a little as it dried her hair. Running a hand through her tousled hair, Yuka shook her head and lay back down. Drumming her fingers on her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling, the ebony haired girl curved her lips into a wry smile. _What if it's true..?_

Flashes of images spurred in her mind. Yuka shut her eyes tightly, blocking out the memory as she clenched her hands involuntarily. When she opened her eyes again, there was a dull voice beckoning at her in the back of her mind. _Sugimoto Yuka…_

OoOoOoOoOo

A man in his mid-thirties chuckled. Fingering the stubby moustache on his chin, he threw his head back and laughed. The laugh was not out of amusement, and neither was it out of goodwill. The candle on the desk in front of him snuffed out, leaving a ghostly trial of smoke to indicate a previously existent flame. Finally the horrible noise stopped, and the man leaned forward on his desk and beckoned with a finger, for the figure standing in the shadows to come forward. The figure emerged with a miserable expression on her soft features, her shimmering, cheerful golden hair was a big contrast to her sorrowful eyes. The pink light on the tip of her fingers dimmed and died out. Out of the sudden, the woman collapsed to her feet and started to weep.

"Your Majesty…" she uttered in a pleading tone in between sobs.

But her words were ignored, and instead, the Emperor of this country came from behind his desk and got down on a knee before his kirin. He lifted her tearstained face with a thumb and a forefinger, and the holy creature looked away from her master's intensive gaze.

"Such a beautiful creature should not be tainted with sorrow. Look at me." He commanded, and the female before him obeyed.

Wiping the tears from her face, the emperor smiled and said to himself, "That's much better."

When fresh tears threatened to fall from the burning eyes, the royalty released his hold and spat out, "Ponder over it, Rinsa." And left the sobbing kirin to her own devices.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

TBC

Yep, it took me long enough. I know some of you may want to strangle me over the lack of progress in the story, and I admit that I'm getting a bit impatient with myself too. About the YxK thing, you guys can rest assured it will happen. They just need time to develop their feelings as not everyone falls in love at first sight. Especially that stick-in-the-mud, handsome kirin that we girls swoon over. (winks)

I must say I am heartened by the reviews sent in by you guys. (smiles) I know this isn't the best fanfic out there, but I'm trying. I'm still having a little writer's block (my vocab wouldn't flow!) and it annoys me to no end. (sighs) Oh well…please cheer for me you guys… (chuckles)


	7. Chapter 7

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK.

Chapter 7

"Good work."

A man draped in a black cloak bowed at his master, "Thank you, your highness."

Yuren studied the man before him, and smirked. He had picked a useful servant. His father was wrong this time; Yuren, the son of the current sovereign of Kei, was not a useless bum who only lusted after women. _I'll show you father, that this bad judgment on your part is going to cost you._

"Carry on your assignment and report the happenings to me. You may leave." The black haired prince commanded.

The cloaked figure bowed again and exited the room, the bamboo made doors creaked as it opened and close. Yuren watched the shadow beyond the wooden doors floated away and began pacing in front of his desk. The candle on his desk had been put out quite some time ago, and judging from the lightening sky, dawn was about to break. The prince stopped and sighed dramatically. The last time he sneaked out to visit the brothel, his father had been livid and summoned him to the morning court to give him a tongue lashing in the presence of his entire court. How disgraceful! Yuren frowned and flicked his fringe away from his olive skinned face. No doubt his father was going to do this same today. Ever since the Empress and the kirin fled to Horai, he'd been barking non-stop for no reason. At the thought of the red haired empress, his mood turned jovial. The only person who could rival his father….stunning red hair, captivating green eyes, and despite her wearing a thick layer of robes, Yuren never failed to notice the subtle curves her body possessed. And not to mention that air of regal grace! Absolutely wonderful! Grinning to himself, the prince whistled happily to himself as he made his way to the court room, thinking of a certain person that Juoyu labelled as taboo.

OoOoOoOoOo

Kaname flinched as a pebble made contact with his back. He ignored the pain and continued to make his way to school. Behind him, a couple of schoolmates hurled degrading terms at him and scurried away, laughing with triumph that they had 'beaten' this freak.

They ebony haired university student walked on in silence. Being hurled at had become a common practice for some people to boost their confidence, when in fact, they were the most cowardice ones. They never dared to get near to him. It does not really matter anyway, somehow, fate was going to punish them for him. Kaname made a mental note to pay extra attention to the news for the next few days.

The pokerfaced young man hummed quietly to himself as he passed by the bustling streets of Tokyo. Faceless throng of humans brushed past the short haired man without a glance. To them, he was just another ordinary university student. And to Kaname himself, he too believed so. But there was something…something lurking at the back of his head which he could not seem to recall despite the years he spent to try to remember. Many times he had dismissed it as a trivial matter. If it was that important, he should be able to recall without much effort. But whenever he made up his mind to put the unease to rest, it would spring out and demand his attention. He would then remember a strange looking map that had twelve pieces of land and felt drawn to it. It had an invisible force that kept drawing him to it. It felt as if he belonged there...as if…as if there was something still undone that required his attention immediately. Then there was the uneasy feeling of being followed that kept him on his toes. For almost a decade, the ebony haired young man had sensed another being on a close proximity to him, but was unsuccessful in detecting where. He wasn't even sure if that being was a human anymore.

For eight long years he had been trying to remember something of great importance. An oath he gave to a certain someone. A duty he must fulfil…a country's destiny to change-

Kaname stopped in his tracks, earning a few dirty glances from his fellow pedestrians behind him. What was that? An oath? What oath? What country? Where was it? Was it on the strange map that had been on his mind for so long? He felt the pressure in his brain beginning to build up and the distressed young man clutched his head painfully, pressing himself to recollect a memory. A memory he had lost so long ago…so important…

With a groaned, Kaname released his grasp on his head and slowly lost his balance as his mind refused to obey. The books he was carrying fell onto the hard pavement with a plopping sound and a concerned crowd circled the unconscious youth.

OoOoOoOoOo

A beautiful lady.

A beautiful lady with golden hair. Soft hands touched my shoulder and kind eyes peered down at my face. So gentle…

She was reaching out to me.

I accepted and was pulled away.

Away from my home in Japan.

Away from my family.

To somewhere…

A girl;

Short black hair;

Sharp eyes;

Sugi..something…

_"Who are you?" I demanded dangerously_.

The girl trembled as my shadow grew on the wall behind her. She seemed afraid.

_"I…I'm a friend of Kei-O…" she uttered._

Kei-O? Who is that? Kei? Kei-O…?

Kaname awoke to the sounds of the beeping machine next to his bed. His tired eyes readjusted slowly to the dim lights, and the youth noted the pristine white walls and the pale green garbs he was dressed him. Someone stirred near his elbow.

A middle-aged woman pushed herself off her crossed arms and found herself face to face with his youngest son, already awake and gazing at her with those hollow eyes. Those eyes had been haunting her ever since he reappeared at her mother-in-law's funeral without a stitch of clothing. Shaking her unease off her shoulders, the brown haired mother smiled at her son.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired with a motherly tone.

"I remembered something again, mother. I saw-" Kaname halted his speech when he saw his mother's face paled.

The older woman looked across his son and muttered tiredly, "I don't want to hear those stuff Kaname." And returned her gaze to ask, almost accusingly, "You have not been taking the medication regularly haven't you? You know what the doctor said." Her volume of her voice was starting to raise a notch, "Please! Please stop talking about that nonsense! They **don't exist**How many times must I……."

Kaname had a crestfallen look on him as he listened on to his mother. No one believed his stories. No one ever did. Not now, and not ever. How he wished his psychologist was right; that he was just hallucinating. He was a hormone driven teenager after all, he just had too much imagination to spare…he just…

White hair.

Fierce red eyes.

Golden mane and troubled purple eyes.

A flaming red animal with cobalt eyes.

"Kaname? Kaname!"

The troubled youth was brought back to reality by his mother's calls. He glanced at his exhausted mother and gave her a reassuring smile, "You're right mother. It's just my imagination."

The older woman heaved a sigh and allowed her tensed body to relax. She was terrified when she saw Kaname in a daze. What if he went back 'there'? He couldn't. He wouldn't succumb to his hallucinations. The doctor's medicine should be enough to stabilize him. He would be fine. He would be all right. Nothing could happen to him. Nothing…

Mrs. Takasato stood up from a chair and the scrapping noise became the only noise (besides the machines) that filled the room. Everything would be all right.

"I must get going now. Stay here for a couple of days Kaname, the doctor wants to keep you under his observation." The brown haired woman smiled upon her child, the prominent dark circles a big contrast with her pale and rough looking skin.

With a pat on the head and a final goodbye, Kaname was left alone in his ward. The words he said rung in his mind. _It's just my imagination._ Looking at the clock across the clean walls, Kaname found himself to be exceptionally free to think. Slowly shutting out his mother's advice, the ebony haired youth began to piece the broken puzzle together.

OoOoOoOoOo

TBC…

Okay this is a very short chapter. This could be my last chapter for the next three weeks as I would be very busy. I would still continue to type during that period, but no promises though. (smiles)

Ah yes, I finally gave Juoyu's son a name. Haha…I think it suits him. Yuren…sounds a bit like a girl doesn't it? (glees)

Don't worry, how could I forget? (Glomps readers) Thank youuuuuu! For those who reviewed, thank you so so much! And for those who read my fic, but did not review, I would still like to offer my thanks to you guys. Hey, I know some of us are a little lazy and so am I. I don't always review every fic I've read too. (sheepish)

So that's all folks! Nighty nite!


	8. Chapter 8

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own Twelve Kingdoms.

Chapter 8

Keiki sat on a strange looking chair with shiny legs as he watched the people walking past the pawnshop they were in. He turned to the source of voice to see his empress conversing with a plump looking man in her native language. The blonde man narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he observed the owner of the shop laughed, slapped his hand on the wooden counter and eyed his queen with an incredulous stare.

The plus sized man scratched his protruding belly and clicked his tongue in exasperation. "I told you, young lady, and I'm telling you again, your jewelry has no monetary value. It's knock-off." He pushed the hairpin back to Youko.

Youko knitted her eyebrows into a frown and sighed pitifully. "Please look at it again, sir. The gems are real!"

Keiki face contorted with displeasure. He watched the interaction between the two individuals and fumed silently. Suzu, on the other hand, was preoccupied with the shop's interior. Everything she saw seemed to fascinate her a great deal. She knelt in front of one of the chairs and ran her hand across the surface of the shiny legs of the weird looking chair and gasped, eyes widening in surprise.

"It's so cold!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed to no one in particular. She placed her face near the leg and she saw a distorted reflection of herself, and gasped again, muttering softly to herself.

Keiki gave her a cursory glance and returned his attention to his empress. She was still trying to bargain with the rude man, who kept rejecting her. The attitude of the shop owner was grating against Keiki's patience as time wore on. Deciding to disobey the order of 'just take a seat and wait quietly', the irritated kirin strode towards the counter and placed a hand on the counter to grab their attention.

Youko paused in the middle of her sentence and glance at the pale hand, which suddenly made its way here. The shop owner reached up to scratched his thinning head and tossed this peculiar man an impassive look.

"Keiki…"

The tall blonde man ignored his master and glared at the man without really looking like he was staring him down. But a difference of two feet in height could work wonders.

The shop owner shifted his eyes to the clock on his right and hummed a random tune, drumming his fingers on the counter, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Keiki." Youko spoke with more firmness in her voice.

That ended the one-sided glaring contest and the tall servant sighed. He removed his hand from the counter and turned around to face the exit without saying a word. Youko turned to the obese man again and caught him looking away anxiously.

It was Youko turn to sigh. She craned her neck sideways and saw Suzu examining a metal chair, and pushed away the urge to repeat her earlier action.

Without another word, Kei-O grabbed the hairpin and headed towards the exit. Keiki blinked in surprise and went after his queen. Once they were out in the open, Keiki couldn't help but feel rather uncomfortable with the looks the Horai people were giving him. If you ask him, they were the ones with the strange hair and garbs. And what were those weird looking luggage he saw them carrying? Some of it was so small that you couldn't even pack a single stick of candle in it. And what about the looming buildings that infested every corner of this town?

The blonde kirin sighed (again) and lowered his head to shield his eyes from the painful sunlight.

Youko chewed on her lower lip abusively as her thoughts trained back to the earlier encounter. What were they going to do now? That was the third pawnshop she visited and all of them told her the hairpin was priceless. In a very literal sense. Her fingers encircled the hilt of the Suiguu unknowingly and tightened her grip on it.

Keiki must be thinking how useless his queen was.

The flame coloured hair empress threw her head back and closed her eyes. How were they going to survive in Japan?

_You could always go back to your parents._

Her eyes snapped open so quickly that she thought it was going to stay stuck opened. Her parents. She hadn't thought of them until now. How have they been faring lately without her?

_They missed you. Go back._

Did they? Do they? She had always been the '_bad_' daughter in their eyes. Whatever she did, it was always '_not good enough'_ as she was '_very spoilt'_. Or so her father said. No, she wasn't spoilt. And she certainly _was not_ 'bad'. She had **always** been a dutiful daughter. Never in her life had she once defied her parents' wishes. She had done all she could. But why was it not enough? What more could they want? Why do they treat her in su-

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back forcefully, causing Youko to lose her balance. She felt herself rammed into something sturdy, or rather someone as he 'oofed' upon the contact.

Battle instinct took over her body and she seized the person's arm and flipped him over her shoulder. Youko regretted her actions almost immediately as she spotted a blur of blue and platinum flew over her head.

"Keiki!" she screamed.

Her arms shot out to catch her kirin but all she felt was the fluttering wisps of Keiki's hair that brushed against her fingertips and despair dropped heavily at the bottom of her gut. Quickly diving under the impending body, Youko successfully managed to cushioned Keiki's fall.

Youko bit her lip to stop herself from crying out as blonde man sat on her stomach. Once everything came to a shuddering stop, the flame haired empress let out an involuntary whimper. Youko gasped desperately for air and wrapped her arms around the still body laying over her.

"K..Keiki-" she stopped and cried out in pain when she tried to shift herself away. Something was jabbing at her spine and it hurt like hell. Turning her head sideways, she saw her sword poking out beneath her body. Youko groaned in agony as she allowed her pounding head to rest on the concrete pavement. Her world was then engulfed in darkness.

Balancing a bouquet of flowers and a basket of fruits in her arms, the young lady approached the admin counter with apprehension, and inquired, " Excuse me, may I know which ward Takasato Kaname is staying in?"

A nurse looked up and gave the visitor a brilliant smile, before answering, "Hold on, let me check."

A series of typing ensued and stopped a few seconds later. Chocolate brown eyes fixed onto black ones, "He's staying in ward 2B5. Walk down the corridor on your right and turn left at the first intersection."

Yuka nodded her thanks and proceeded to her destination. She paused in front of a jade coloured door, collected herself and balled her fist to knock on the door.

She heard some shifting coming from within and then silence. Some more shifting and then a voice replied, "Come in."

The raven haired young lady took in a deep breath and went for it. Yuka twisted the door handle, pushing the heavy door inwards and entered the dimly lit ward.

"Hello."

Kaname looked up from his laptop and surprise entered his dull eyes.

"Sugimoto-san."

"Takasato." She gave him a curt bow.

They continued to stare at each other in silence. It was Yuka who ended the unintentional staring contest by placing the gifts on a table.

"These are from the professors. I offered to bring them to you." She informed.

"Oh." Was the only reply he managed to muster as he eyed the woman in front of him like a hawk.

Her visit surprised him very much. Although they would bump into each other occasionally, but all they did was give each other a greeting and go on about their own businesses. The only reason why he acknowledged her was because both of them have been spirited away before. Somehow, Kaname could smell it on her. That distinct smell that set her apart from the rest of the people. Which was precisely why he kept his distance. He knew…he could feel her…She had something to do with his 'hallucinations'. She was dangerous.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine. Thank you for your concern."

Yuka looked at the pale boy sitting up on the bed. Kaname gazed at the catlike girl who intruded his privacy. Yes, she resembled a cat. And Kaname preferred dogs.

"Are you going to stare at me all day?" Yuka cocked her head and threw him an amused look, "Or are you going to say something?"

The raven haired boy opened his mouth to retort, but closed it on second thought. This girl was taunting him, and it would not do to fall into her trap. With his lips pulled back into a thin line, he sat there silently, taunting her back. He hadn't considered the need to heed his mother's words about taking his medicine. But it seemed this girl's appearance made popping pills a must now.

Yuka raised an arched eyebrow questioningly. She heaved a sigh and crossed her arms defensively. What was his problem?

"You know…I'm not here to cause you trouble. I'm here because…" she trailed off, "well….because I just wanted to see if you're alright."

Yeah right. This annoying girl was here because she was worried about his wellbeing. It would sound more convincing if she said she was here to check out his latest recalling about 'the other world'.

Yuka sighed in resignation, "All right. I give up. I'm here to see if you remember anything."

Something flashed in Kaname's eyes, but it ended before Yuka could catch on. The patient on the bed closed his laptop and glared straight into the eyes of the girl's.

"There is nothing to recall." He spoke resolutely.

"You're in denial." The catlike girl answered back.

He dug his nails into he bed sheets and a feral appearance slipped onto his face so abruptly, it made the raven haired girl take a few steps back in shock.

"You know nothing. Get out."

Yuka released the air in her lungs she didn't realize she was holding. His order had been simple, but she could detect the underlining threat in his voice. Glancing one last time at the uncharacteristic boy in hospital gown, her anxiety began to hit sky high. Not wanting to wait for another second, Yuka bolted from the ward.

She ran as fast as her wobbly legs could carry her and stopped once she considered herself a safe distance away from the maniacal boy. Placing both hands on the pale wall, Yuka bent her head low and squeezed her eyes shut to catch her breath. She willed her pounding heart to calm but her mind would not let her. It kept showing her what happened earlier.

Yuka opened her eyes slowly and her shoes came into view. Her memory flashed before her eyes again and the frightened girl squeezed her eyes shut forcefully. Stop it! STOP. SHOWING. ME. THINGS.

Despite her resistance, she soon found herself replaying the scene in her mind, however disturbing, contained some answers she was currently desperate to get hold off. She saw something in his eyes. On the surface it was fierce, feral, and threatening. But there was something more. It zipped by so fast that she hadn't had time to get a good look, but she saw it. And that's all that mattered. Also, she felt another presence when Kaname chased her out. A strong, humming energy was emanating from him. It radiated within the room, as if the dark ward has a life of its own. A heartbeat. Yes, that's right. It was a heartbeat. Something else was there. With him.

The nightmare from two nights earlier came back to haunt Yuka again. She gasped and tugged at her collar. Air! She needed air! She needed to breathe! Finally untying the tie around her neck, the raven haired girl slid down to her knees in exhaustion.

A shadow loomed over her and she stiffened immediately. Yuka whipped her head around and was face to face with a nurse with chocolate brown eyes. Ah…she remembered her. Yuka exhaled and her tensed shoulder relaxed considerably.

"Is everything alright?" the nurse inquired cautiously.

Yuka looked up to meet the nurse's eyes, smiling uncertainly, " I..I'm fine. Thank you." Her eyes travelled to the nurse's head and realized that the neat hair pinned under her cap was blonde. Her entire head was blonde.

The blonde nurse beamed at her answer, "All right. Alert the nurses if you're not feeling well, hmm?"

Yuka nodded mutely and watched the cheerful nurse walk away. She has blonde hair and it didn't look artificial. Strange.

The raven haired girl turned around and slowly made her way to the main lobby. She could feel her energy dissipating from her body as the clock ticked. She shook her head gently and wisps of wavy hair fell onto her face. She pushed them back and went to join the queue for the shuttle bus.

An ambulance stopped at the curb and its doors flew open, displaying a group of frantic paramedics trying to get someone off the vehicle. Someone yelled something and Yuka looked up. There, she watched the hospital staffs wheeling a person in on a mobile stretcher. Yuka blinked. No, there were two people. The second one was just being carried off the ambulance. She watched them with detached eyes. Her eyes reattached themselves on the first patient. Doctors and nurses were hovering over the body as they rushed the patient into the emergency unit. One of the doctors moved away and Yuka caught sight of a red hair. Something clicked inside her but she didn't pay any mind to it.

The second patient was wheeled in and Yuka saw a mass of blonde hair dangling off the stretcher. Something much more powerful strummed in her heart, and the tired girl found that she couldn't ignore it. The longer she looked, the stronger the signal became. Yuka growled in frustration as the end of the stretcher disappeared behind a pair of wind doors. She huffed in frustration and broke away from the queue, apologizing profusely as she pushed away the line of people queuing behind her. She dodged several individuals along the way and reached the door leading to the emergency unit.

She stopped in her tracks to collect herself. Once she deemed that she was ready, Yuka pushed past the doors and stepped in.

Yuka paused in her tracks again, taking in her surroundings. Everyone was working like bees collecting nectar for winter. No one paid any heed to the intruder. Good, there was no need to alert anyone.

Then she plunged herself into the beehive of activity. In the midst of her search, she saw a doctor she recognized from earlier at the lobby and took a chance of following him. When she reached a bed and saw a familiar mass of red hair, the raven haired girl grinned with relief.

She approached the bed with growing dread gnawing at her. Red hair. There was only one person she knew with those flame red hair. But then again, it could be anyone. Chasing away her doubts and anxiety, she walked right up to the red head in three large strides.

And she glanced at the face that the hair belonged to.

-TBC-

A/N: Three long months…Hiaz…sorry (squeaks)

Multiple thanks to those who have reviewed. Your patience is well appreciated. I know…I've been bad (squeaks again) But I've been busy with stuff…hiaz…and school is going to start soon. But don't worry, I'll finish the story. I've already got the whole plot planned out. (grins)

So enjoy! (meow)


	9. Chapter 9

Kingdom of Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own TK.

Chapter 9

"I see, thank you very much sir."

A girl with a ponytail smiled and shook a stranger's hands with gratitude. The man nodded and turned to leave, giving her an encouraging glance on his way out.

Yuka watched the stranger's shadow disappeared around the corner before she returned to a ward similar to Takasato's.

There, lying on a single bed was a certain red head, hooked onto several beeping machines. Yuka took in her features and allowed her gaze to travel across the still body, then to the bulky sword resting against the dresser. As if sensing her undying gaze, the gem on the weapon glowed eerie neon green, flashed twice and died down. Yuka quirked an eyebrow at that. Was that 'thing' saying hello? Suppressing an uncharacteristic giggle, the raven haired girl walked up to her friend and sat down on an empty chair next to the bed.

Yuka reached for Youko's hand under the blanket and held it tight. How long has it been? Three or four years? Yuka remembered the night of her departure, she told the Kei empress that she loved children, and that she was going to have many many kids in future. Then Youko took a few steps away from her and looked at her kirin. Ah…yes, that impassive guy with the absurdly long and messy hair. His face had been so tight that night that Yuka thought he was going to have spasms. Yuka breathed out a fit of uncontrolled giggles at the mental picture. She had initially wondered how Youko was going to work with that guy who seemed to be constipated. The giggles soon transformed into gasping laughter.

Hekisojou glowed once more. It flickered on and off several times before returning to its former lackluster self. Yuka caught it from the corner of her tears moistened eyes and stood up. She squinted her eyes at the supposed innocent object and walked around the bed and squatted to better inspect the 'thing'. The stone has a jade colour translucent shell with black swirls settling at its base. The outer layer felt cool under her fingertips and really smooth too as Yuka traced her fingers across the surface. Then the stone flashed again.

"Ha-" she fell back on her rear in astonishment as she stared at the gem.

It flashed again.

Yuka jumped up and raced out of the ward.

The instance the spooked girl was out of the room, the Suiguu started rattling in its sheath. The entire weapon trembled against the dresser, creating incessant ruckus that could eventually wake those in comatose.

An unidentified shadow slipped into the room from under the door and disappeared under the bed. The legs of the bed began to rattle as well, though its movements were not as violent as the sword by its master.

The red head on the bed stirred. Her fingers twitched in sync with the rattling in her ward. Her eyelids fluttered open…

0nextscene0

He stared at the white wall directly in front of him, then averted his gaze to the gray boxes next to him and this strangely comfortable bed. There were sounds of birds' chirpings coming from those boxes even though he couldn't locate any of them. There were also green and red dots on them. Sometimes they flashed! Where in the name of Tentei was he? The boxes chirped again, much to Keiki's irritation. He had awoken just a while ago and found himself in unfamiliar territory. He was still in Horai, that much he could be certain. Given the strange objects the people here have, it wouldn't take any respectable genius long to figure out.

Keiki ran his hand through his hair and found something similar to a white band tied around his wrist. He tugged at it gently, and much to his irritation –again-, the band wouldn't slide off. He clutched his forehead with the other hand and sighed. Where was Youko? And how did he get here?

Everything came flooding back into his throbbing mind. Ah, yes, of course. This must be a place where the people in Horai nursed their sick. His mind picked up a particular piece of memory and Keiki grimaced. Surely the Hinman had been overreacting? He was only trying to prevent Youko from walking into a strange looking pillar.

Keiki grimaced again at his memory as a familiar crack echoed within his mind. The blonde kirin shifted his back a little and found it to be a little sore. If Youko hadn't broken his fall he might be-

His _queen_ had cushioned _his_ fall. Though it was _her_ fault in the first place but that wasn't important at the moment. He sat up swiftly, his spine protesting from the exertion, and looked frantically around the room. Youko must be in another room with Suzu. Yes, Suzu would take good care of her. Suzu would-

It was as if a tonne of bricks fell onto his head upon the realization that they had left Suzu in the pawnshop. Alone.

Oh Tentei…

0nextscene0

A shadow loomed over her and she shrunk back immediately, cowering in fright. The bulky man across the table slammed his fists on the rickety table and Suzu whimpered pitifully in response. The raven haired girl glanced at the card dangling from the interrogator's breast pocket and tried to read the words that she could not understand. Poooliiiiccceee. What's that?

"You," he said, pointed a finger at the trembling girl, "better tell us the truth. Or we'll throw you into jail."

Suzu gasped. She did not want to go to prison! She wasn't some crimial! And most of all, she wasn't lying!

"I'mm…n..not lying." she pleaded.

The man retracted his meaty paws and stuffed them under his pits. His nostrils flared as he squinted his already slit eyes at the anciently dressed girl. They had checked their database twice but they still couldn't find anyone that matched the details the girl had given them. So obviously, this little one was an illegal immigrant unlucky enough to be abandoned by her companions. According to the pawnshop owner, there were two more of them that came with this Suzu. One with flame red hair and the other with loooong blonde hair. For illegal immigrants they sure wished to attract attention to themselves. In another words, this group of trio was very suspicious. Not only was they way they dress, the 'tool' one of them carried was worth the alert as well. A black and yellow sword was the description one local gave.

The cop interrogating Suzu sighed. There was only one word to describe them. Stupid.

A knock on the door took him out of his thoughts and a disgruntled noise rose from the back of his throat. Didn't he just order them not to disturb him?

"Enter." He said.

The door creaked and a head peeked into the room. The intruder winced as the bright florescent light smacked him right in the face. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he extended another holding a manila file.

"Sir, we have leads about this girl's companion. It seems that the both of them are at a hospital."

The officer's eyes lit up. Luck was definitely on his side today, he glees to himself. If he could arrest them by himself, perhaps his superiors would be impressed with his performance and then he might get a raise and promotion! And his face would appear on the newspaper with the title gracing him: Cop removes armed and dangerous immigrants. Everyone at the station would have to show him the respect he deserved! Oh! And his ex-girlfriend would come crawling back to him! The unlimited glory this case would bring!

"Um, sir?" the other officer prompt, and arched an eyebrow at his mentor's funny expression. The younger officer sighed and though, 'He's revelling in his own imaginary victory again.'

The older cop snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed the file from his subordinate in a rude manner. Flipping the file uninterestedly, he stopped at a particular page with vital information. Smirking to himself, he read the details given.

"Get someone to baby-sit this little girl. Inform the team that we're going on a field trip today." He said, half-chuckling, as he snapped the file shut and tossed it expertly back at his subordinate.

The younger man caught it with a scowl on his face. How did he get teamed up with a self-deceiving commanding officer like _him_ was still a mystery to him. In fact, how the man managed to stay on the force for more than five years was already a mystery itself.

"Sir," he announced dully, "everyone is already waiting for you at the parking lot."

The older man froze as his face heated up. Well, it's good to have a self-motivated team at his disposal. They are very lucky to have such an appreciative commanding officer like him. They shouldn't be wasting anymore time now.

"All right!" he roared, despite his earlier embarrassment, and strode out of the room in confidence.

The younger cop continued with his wave of dullness towards his over zealous superior as he watched the proud man leave. What a loser. He turned to the other occupant in the room instead and found the girl had clamped a hand over her mouth, mirth dancing in her eyes.

The man sighed and chuckled silently. At least someone agreed with him. Albeit a criminal.

He exited the interrogation room and immediately called for someone to take over the duty. He passed the file to one of his colleague and thanked her as he turned to leave. Oh boy, today's going to be interesting.

0kingdomofhearts0

TBC…

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! bows Remember to R&R! XD

A/N: Yay! Another chapter up! Albeit a short one sobs Hahaha…I'm feeling kinda hyper right now. All I am thinking of are very anime-ish scenes, so pardon me if it seems weird to put TK characters in that kind of mood. (The cop is an exception, I made him dumb on purpose) cackles Hmmm…. TK is a very serious anime….hehehehe cackles evilly What would it be like to make them, especially KEIKI, do anime-ish stuff? XD guffaws Hehe…don't worry though, I'm not going to make him too OOC. That would ruin everything right? winks


	10. AN IMPORTANT NOTE

**Note: I will be rewriting this fic as I have noticed certain errors and areas that I need to improve on. The title would probably be changed as well (tentative) and most of the plot would remain as it is. The rest of the chapters will be removed soon. This "space" that's left with a title and this notice, will still exist until I decide whether I want to keep the title. Thank you for all your reviews, I am very glad you guys like my concept and rest assured that I would continue with this fic. I was not kidding when I said I have the entire storyline; as someone wondered whether I would give up on this story. (smiles) Hehe..It's writer's block. **

**Xelrina**


	11. LAST NOTE

NOTE: I have started re-writing Kingdom of Hearts, and have posted 2 chapters under Brushes For Pen. Please check them out. (: The BFP has the same concept of Youko and co going to Hourai, but the rest have been changed. To the mistakes I have made in KOH, I hope I will get it right this time. I know updates have been painstakingly slow to the point where I might as well be MIA. Most of the time I don't really approve what I've written, and that's where editing comes into picture. I don't like what I've written in KOH, therefore I am re-writing it. I won't be unreasonable and say "Pleaseeeeeee be patient with me, I promiseeee I'll finish it as soon as I can!!!" because I have taken such a long time just to post two measly chapters. Updates will definitely be choppy and far in-between, and I am terribly sorry and thankful to those who have read and reviewed KOH, and those who have been extensively patient with this bad authoress. Thank You all.

Xelrina


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